Puerum Magi: Izuku Midoriya
by Mapleseruhp
Summary: All-might does not save Izuku from the sludge villain that day after school. Instead, Kyubey saved Deku by offering him a wish in exchange for becoming a magical boy. Able to attend U.A, Deku must disguise his ability as a quirk while balancing his life of fighting witches with training to be a hero.
1. A Wish

**Aldera Junior High:**

"Since you're all third years, it's time for you to seriously think about your future."

Deku could hear his teacher rambling off about quirks, but only parts of the sentences actually filtered into his consciousness. The sound of his scrawling pen calmed him. Taking notes about the giant hero he had encountered that morning lightened his mood. It lightened his mood when the teacher was inciting his peers to flaunt their quirks and their chance at joining a heroics program. His pencil tip snapped under pressure. He sighed, wiping the graphite dust from his notebook.

The sounds of cheers and excitement brought him the exact opposite, he withdrew into his chair. Using a quirk in public was a violation. Neither they nor the teacher really cared. Meekly, he raised his hand in the chaos. He wanted to join a heroics program too, he just wanted to be a hero, like his role model. These people did too. Biting his lip, the quirkless boy analyzed the quirks of his classmates. He was pretty much used to and familiar with them. The boy with the long eye-stalks creeped him out, even more so than the piano fingers guy. He didn't care though, those kinds of quirks would be better than nothing, even if not really combat viable.

A familiar voice rang out into the classroom. Deku filled with icy dread.

"Hey teach! Don't lump us all into the same group. I'm not gonna be stuck at the bottom with the rest of these rejects!

The green-haired boy covered his ears at the sudden uproar. It was not a surprise, of course, Bakugou was just like that. Deku's gaze fell, ruminating over the words, even if unintended for a quirkless boy, likely even less than the 'so-called rejects.' What did that make him then? He glanced at the perching birds through the window. It had been a nice day.

Some banter later, the teacher carelessly interjected.

"Oh, if I remember correctly, you want to go to U.A. High, right, Bakugou?"

It's not like Bakugou was ever disciplined. His superiority was accepted. Deku could guess why, images of violent explosions and pure power playing back in his mind.

An astonished look flashed across Deku's face. He fidgeted in place, anticipating his own interest to be called out alongside Bakugou's. Face down on the desk, he listened to his classmates ramble off about how good U.A was. Deku agreed with them for the most part, it was where he wanted to go. It was arguably the best Heroics school out of them all. As such, it held the lowest entry rates. He knew this from incessant online research in the early morning hours, much too late for his mother's favor.

The blonde boy continued his rant.

"That's why you guys are just extras. I aced the mock test! I'm the only one at this school who could possibly get into U.A."

Deku did them as well, multiple times, phenomenally from what the numbers told him. He'd get past the written portion for sure, but that was it.

"I'll definitely surpass All-Might and become the top hero! My name'll be inscribed on the list of top-earners!"

Clenching his hand somewhat, Deku startled when the pencil snapped in his hand. But he did not have the time to mourn the lost pencil, he flinched upon hearing his name.

"Oh yeah, Midoriya wanted to go to U.A too, right?"

Fidgeting in place, he was pointedly aware of Bakugou's uncharacteristic silence. Deku knew what was coming. Everybody stared at him, stunned, before breaking out into a universal mockery.

"Huh, Midoriya? No way!" A voice added.

Another one interjected. "You can't get into the hero course just by studying!"

Sprouting from his desk, Deku stood and planted his palms on the wooden top. He needed to stable himself, something also evidently needed for his voice.

"Th-They got rid of that rule! There's just no precedent.."

His lips trembled and eyes were wide. Bakugou's fist whirled through the air, faster than the quirkless boy could react. Bracing himself for the coming explosion, the shockwave still managed to throw him to the floor. Grey smoke curled up from Bakugou's tensed hand.

"Hey Deku!"

He flinched and cowered on the floor, but still glanced up to meet Bakugou's wrathful stare.

"You're below the rejects! You're quirkless!"

It was almost funny in an entirely terrifying way how villainous he appeared. Clutching and wriggling his smoke-veiled fingers while clenching and unclenching his jaw. Downright sadistic. Nobody cared though or bothered to interrupt. They knew what Bakugou was capable of.

"How can you even stand in the same ring as me?"

The mantra repeated itself in Deku's mind. He was kinder, smarter, gentler. It satiated the need to burst out in tears, from both fear and humiliation. From experience, he knew how painful a direct hit would be, and so naturally, he held out his hand in a pathetically weak defence.

"No, wait, Kacchan!" Deku pleaded to Bakugou, knowing it wouldn't actually do anything. He was powerless.

Deku needed to backpedal, that's what usually worked.

"It's not like I'm trying to compete with you or anything!" Believe me! It's just that it's been my goal ever since I was little… And well… I won't know unless I try..."

He hated it, having to beg like this, hated how he didn't even get enough respect as to not be threatened on a daily basis without intervention. U.A prided itself on progressiveness in terms of quirkless issues, but it was likely the only school in Japan that did. The posters stuck up haphazardly did nothing to stop Bakugou's abuse, did nothing to concern the teachers that pointedly ignored the entirely one-sided spats.

"Whaddaya mean unless ya try?!"

Smoke gathered in Bakugou's hands, Deku cowered.

He sank to the classroom floor, frightened into paralysis as his peers and tormentors towered above. Seemingly stuck to the cold tile, he could only pray that Bakugou's punches wouldn't injure or maim.

"Are you taking the test for fun?!"

'No!', he wanted to cry out, but his voice too suffered from fright-induced paralysis.

"What the hell can you do? You're quirkless!"

Venom-drenched words seared themselves into Deku's mind. He was quirkless, pathetic, weak, lame, waste. Through all of his childhood, Bakugou's words meant nothing, the neglect, and exclusion from his peers meant nothing. The dirty looks sent his way meant nothing, nor did the hushed whispers and worried glances. Even after being encouraged to jump off the school roof, he pushed through. He may have been all of those things, but he'd never prove that to any of his classmates.

Dull magenta eyes gazed into the classroom, white paws perched on the same branch from which birds had previously stood. Its tail swished contently. The green-haired boy would do.

Deku stared down at his charred and soggy journal. He wasn't angry though. The sun was shining and the koi swam in swift circles around pieces of ripped paper. Nothing too bad had occurred, and it's not like he had been injured either. It was usually like this, he'd feel better by the time class was dismissed and he was all alone with only his surroundings for company. It was the peacefulness that calmed him. It kept him sane. Staring into his reflection on the rippling water surface, he cleared the insults from his mind. He needed to stay positive. Laughing audibly to himself, it seemed to further lighten his mood.

A slopping gurgling sound disrupted his laughter. Gagging as his nostrils were violated by a horrid stench, he whipped his head around and grew pale at the manifesting figure. Green sludge gathered and formed before his eyes. Intense yellow eyes glared menacingly at the fear-stricken boy.

An innocent voice called out pleadingly. Everywhere at once. "Run!"

It was almost robotic, but it startled him from his trance. Fueled by fear, Deku weaved his way around lashing tendrils as he darted out into the school's courtyard. Sweat poured down his forehead. Deku gasped for air. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. That villain had some kind of elemental quirk, definitely strong enough to kill by suffocation. Nobody would save him, nobody knew what was happening. All might wouldn't swoop down and save him. This was right now. Cursing his panic-wrought brain, he desperately thought up a plan. It was long-past dismissal, but he hoped the villain would fear public areas. Darting out into the courtyard, he rounded the school's corner, hoping to find a crowd of people to blend in with.

Nobody.

Flattening himself against the courtyard wall, he peered around the corner skeptically. The sludge-man was hiding from somebody. Distracted. A small white cat bounded out from an alleyway, skipping straight towards him.

The voice returned.

"Quick make a wish and contract with me, Izuku Midoriya! We don't have much time, the villain will easily overpower you, but I can make you stronger. Just make a wish!"

Deku panicked, senses overloaded and desperately trying to figure out what in the fuck was actually going on. A bunny- no, cat- was trying to get him to make a wish? Deku buried his head in his palms, grinding down against his forehead. Tears streamed down his face. He didn't want to die.

He didn't even have to think about his wish, his mouth moving faster than his mind and blurting it out before he could think. It was probably for the best, considering how that villain was likely to be lurking just around the corner.

"I just want to b-be a superhero!"

Saying those words out loud liberated him in a way. His voice echoed with passion and courage, it healed the emotional burns suffered earlier that day. It just felt right to proclaim his desire so freely. Pain soon swept away that feeling as the area was doused in a pine green light. An agonized groan tore itself from his mouth, it felt as if somebody had clamped his innards and was tearing him up from the inside-out. Calming himself down, he took a deep breath. As soon as the pain arrived, was as quick as it departed. The green light dimmed. Deku felt lighter.

"Now, transform!"

Deku wanted to object, but that would have been a lie. He knew how to transform. It was instinct now. Willing the green light to wash over his body, he glimmered with glee as swirls of paper encircled his torso and limbs.

Morphing and taking shape into a green costume, his outfit registered. It was strange, foreign- right. He wore a dark green green sweater, on which a plethora of white felt rabbit faces were crudely stitched. From his shoulders, a light green cloak flowed down to rest at his hips. Beneath his sweater, a pair of beige shorts clung a bit too high up his legs. Green and white vans covered his feet, and black socks sprung up from his ankles and came to rest just below his knees. His socks were trimmed with fluffy white fur along the top, creating a sort of plush finish. Tightening his grip, papers molded around his hands, leaving him with a pair of pastel green gloves that looked to be a mix of tactical and hand-knitted. Drawing up his hood, the white bunny ears stood semi-stiff, half bent but still pointing upwards. Like a choker, a gold chain wrapped snugly around his neck, encasing a pine-green gemstone shaped like the outline of a bunny face, complete with ears and all.

The cool breeze reminded Deku of how exposed he felt. Shameful, he pulled on the hoodie's puff-ball drawstrings and relished in the fabric warmth. A crazed yell brought Deku back into reality.

"Hungry! I… My mistress awaits company for her meal…. Dine with us. Dine with us!"

The villain stared at him, green sludge forming into pointed teeth. Deku had a feeling this man was beyond reasoning, going off on some sort of psychotic tirade. It unsettled the hero, he could sense a dark energy lurking in the man. The unnatural voice echoed into his mind again.

"Wow! You're a lot more powerful than I thought. Use your gauntlets or your magic to neutralize the threat, it's like transforming!"

Not needing further direction, Deku fished around in the sweater's front pocket, grasping his brown leather-bound journal. Opening it up, he glanced down at the first and only entry. Bakugou. 'Katsuki Bakugou: Explosion', was written in bolded letters as the page's header. It was unsettling to see his own handwriting on something he knew he didn't write. Some of the things about bakugou were already known, but a quick glance of the jot-notes left him surprised.

Dodging the villain's sludge slash was easier than Deku had expected. Unnaturally so.

"Mistress h-hungers….."

Deku reached into the page with his right hand, somewhat surprised at himself that it had worked. Quickly withdrawing it alongside dodging another lethargic swipe, the hero clenched his now-armored hand. Closing the journal, he placed it back into the sweater pocket, noticing how the item's weight vanished upon doing so. The villain groaned in anger.

Fitted firmly to his fist, Deku now sported a dark green gauntlet. Holding it out towards the villain, a sudden explosion detonated from his palm. Startled by his own ability, Deku jumped back and screeched as that too-familiar grey smoke curled from his gauntlet.

There was no time to contemplate his powers, the hero sprang towards the villain with a clenched fist. Mere seconds after impact, a powerful explosion rocked the courtyard. The creature splattered with ease, green goop sticking in clumps to most nearby surfaces. Deku gaped. Intimidated by his own recently-acquired ability, he stuffed his hands back into his sweater pocket. Glancing around nervously, he sighed. Nobody was watching.

The cat-bunny stared up at him, eyes glossy and red.

"You did great! That villain was kissed by a witch, you've made great progress by defeating it."

Deku nodded, not really knowing anything about witches or kisses. It was a foreign concept to him, but so was making a wish and gaining a quirk. Or, did this even count as a quirk? It was certainly quirky, but certainly not naturally developed. The boy frowned, overcome by doubt. Something felt off.

"Wait, back up, can you explain to me what just h-happened? We have t-time now, right?"

The bunny stared up, they locked eyes as the creature spoke in that echoey encompassing way.

"Sure, no problem! I think it'd be better for you to return home first. Wouldn't want to worry your mother, now would we? I'm Kyubey, in case you were wondering."

Deku nodded. They walked home together, Kyubey perched innocently on the boy's shoulder. Nobody crossed their path while returning, but likely due to how Deku chose the scenic and somewhat secret path. It was past an alleyway and between two buildings. His neighbours grew many plants, providing a certain lively charm to his own and the nearby properties. Blinking away general confusion and surprise, his adrenaline slowly faded. Some lingered and probably would remain in his system for a while. There just was a certain disbelief Deku found himself in, a certain hopefulness. He felt different. He was no longer pathetic.

* * *

 **Midoriya Residence:**

A green light illuminated his dark bedroom. His curtains flowed with the wind as a cool breeze filtered in. His mother had been mostly unperturbed, believing his excuse about having to stay late to work on a project with his classmates. He didn't know how to tell his mother about whatever had happened or even if he should tell her. His gut told him no, she couldn't know about the magical origin. The soul gem stood on his bedside table. Set in gold, the gem had a rich pine green hue. The gilding was beautiful, wrapping around the gemstone and forming a golden base and top. A crude bunny face symbol was set in the gold at the top. In a flash, the glow dissipated from his gem, casting the room into darkness as a silver ring formed on his hand. Similarly, a green gem was set in the ring, shaped like a bunny face with floppy ears. Runes were etched into the metal. He didn't know what they meant.

"So, a witch's kiss, eh?"

Deku couldn't believe it, but it was somewhat reasonable considering all that had happened. Part of him expected to wake up at any second, but the remaining part knew that pain he had felt while contracting had been all too real.

Kyubey spoke in his mind.

"Yes! Magical girls- erm or boys, are born from wishes and spread hope, but witches are born from curses and spread despair. When souls are overcome with grief and despair, a witch is born. To ensnare a victim, a witch can send out its energy to override a person's mind, thus kissing them. Once kissed, a person has completely succumbed to the witch's whims, and cannot be saved without the help of a magical girl. Most villainous acts or unexpected deaths can be attributed to the influence of a witch."

As much as it confused Deku, it honestly kinda made sense. But that conclusion posed many more questions. Was this stuff common knowledge, was it taught to new heroes? He wagered against it, considering how this had been the first time he ever heard about magical girls and boys. It hurt to think about what all of the events implied. Quirks were expected and normal, even if seemingly supernatural. How strong of a wish could Kyubey have granted?

"Why haven't I heard about any of this before? Do heroic agencies know about any of this stuff?"

Kyubey swished its tail and snuggled into Deku's pillow. He hoped it wouldn't shed.

"No, they are completely unaware. All instances of detection have been forgotten with time. Heroic agencies falsely believe themselves to know everything regarding quirks and powers. I mostly contract the quirkless as a natural quirk would provide a sort of interference between abilities. It wouldn't be good for them. As you know, quirkless people are often discarded by society. They don't get paid much attention, and so most magical boys or girls fly under their radar. Plus, if a magical ability is seen, it's often dismissed as just a quirk. You'd be wise to avoid detection of the true nature of your abilities. In the few instances of detection and inquiry I have witnessed, ability regulating organizations are deeply disturbed by the power held by those who make a wish with me. The powers I grant through wishes are incredibly stronger than quirks by default."

Kyubey's voice grew serious, but its eyes remained glassy and unblinking, glowing magenta somewhat in the dark.

"They were imprisoned and experimented on for weaponization and public safety. You'd think they'd be satisfied with naturally occurring quirks, humanity's thirst for power always surprises me."

It was spoken in a matter-of-fact way, almost cheeky in the upshift of tone. Deku took notes and scribbled quickly with his pen. A new exercise book, labeled 'Green Rabbit.'

"Umm how about witches? How have they never been detected?"

Kyubey swished its tail.

"It's simple. Witches are only able to be seen by people who are kissed or have the potential to make a wish with me. You'll see the witches mark around their neck when kissed if not transformed with their quirk. Additionally, they retreat into their self-made labyrinths to hide from magical boys like you."

Food for thought. That would largely explain why there hasn't been any widespread panic about witches spreading despair. From the sound of it. Their habits of preying reminded him of a spider. Weaving a web from the shadows while waiting for an insect to wander into its trap. Deku smiled, curiosity sated. The unease lifted from his chest. He had more of a grasp now on how things worked. There were a few questions at the back of mind, but he honestly couldn't care. The thrill of finally having strength and ability overtook him. Bouncing on his bed, Deku perused through his journals and contemplated his newfound ability. From what he had used, it was likely some form of mimicry. Deku liked that ability, it just felt right. The general use of his magic was known to him innately, but there were a few knowledge gaps he'd have to fill on himself. He thought of how he could apply it in battle, and how he could use it to his advantage. This would definitely aid in his application to U.A.

Footsteps ascended towards his room. Deku panicked and froze. Kyubey licked its paw.

As much as Deku loved his mother and how supportive she was of his endeavors, he wasn't too fond to see her entering his room. She didn't even knock. Instead, she barged in and frowned at him. Kyubey did not react, jumping down onto the floor and crawling over into his lap. If she saw, she didn't notice. His mother did not comment on the weird cat-bunny hybrid, nor on its impossibly floating golden rings.

"Dear, I heard you talking from downstairs. On the phone with a friend?"

Frustrated and annoyed as a teenaged son would be, he yelled out a bit louder than intended.

"Mom! Yes, a friend on the phone. We were just talking about the upcoming U.A. entrance examinations. We're going to take the written part together."

Deku never prided himself on his ability to lie. It was mediocre at best. Lying to his mother was probably not the morally superior thing to do, but it's not like he could reveal what had actually occurred. It was a little white lie, that's it. He didn't have a friend that he was doing the entrance exam with, didn't have anybody really. The only person he'd know there was likely Bakugou. He facepalmed at the idea, hoping the tyrant's tantrums wouldn't squander his chances of joining now that he actually could participate in the physical assessment.

"Oh! Right, okay. Speaking of that, want me to hand in your forms now? I don't think there's any point in going over them and revising any more than you already have. I… I'm a bit worried about you, actually. I know that you can do anything you can set your mind to, but I think we both know how this is going to end up. Look, I just don't want you to get your hopes up. That's all. Whatever happens though, I'll always love you."

She was loving, caring, and sensitive. The perfect mother really. His peers complained constantly about their overbearing and strict parents, but Deku couldn't understand that way of thinking. Sure, she could be a bit much at times, but not enough for him to complain. He cherished the fact that he was appreciated and loved, especially with his quirkless status. A sudden thought sprung to his mind. He needed to correct his quirk registry on the form.

"Mom! I developed a quirk today. Or... I think I just noticed it now."

He watched his mother's face fall slightly. She sighed.

"Honey, the doctor confirmed you were quirkless because of your pinkie toe, remember? I know you want to get into U.A, but lying on your forms won't get you anywhere."

Deku bit his lip. Grunting slightly, he exhaled deeply.

"I've actually been planning to tell you for a while. I had a whole surprise done up and a costume too. Let me go put it on first, okay?"

His mother was not amused, she shook her head. Grabbing her son's shoulders she stared into his eyes.

"You are still important even while quirkless. It's hard for me to say this but you need to grow up. Accept the fact that you're quirkless -my quirk isn't heroic or strong but I manage just fine."

Tears trickled from her eyes. She didn't understand what it was like to be quirkless. It was almost insulting that she thought it was only about power. Deku really did feel guilty about lying to her mom like this, but it's not like he had any other choice. If she didn't see him transform, she would just think he dressed up. Instead of trying to convince her further, Deku simply descended downstairs and into the spare room. Rummaging through the closet, he paid no mind to the loud rattling hangers and falling boxes. It would be best for her to hear the sounds, furthering the deception.

Green light doused his body as his outfit suddenly clothed him. Deku posed slightly in the body mirror, liking what he saw. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he recognized the subtle bulge of muscles on his arms and legs. Musculature that hadn't been there before. It matched his new feeling of strength and invigoration. Blushing at the realization that he didn't look half-bad -instead very girly, he focused on the task at hand.

Reaching into his sweater pocket, he produced the leather-bound journal. Holding it felt right, comfortable. At Bakugou's entry, Deku reached into the page. The feeling would never be describable or boring to him. Cold. The inside of his pocket and inside the pages was almost jarringly frigid. It was like breaching the surface of water by reaching in, but with a book page. Upon feeling the armoured gauntlet taking form alongside the slight scent of nitroglycerin, Deku removed his hand. The process was noticeably slow, worrying almost. Definitely not great for mid-combat switching. Testing out his powers once more, assuring he actually had them, Deku detonated an explosion in his fist. The shock sent him to the ground. It had been a bit stronger than he anticipated. Glancing around the room, the only damage appeared to be a blackened cardboard box from which smoke twirled.

"Izuku! What was that sound? Are you okay?" His mother's voice was frantic as she pounded down the stairwell.

Great.

The door flung open once more without knocking or notice, she gasped. Her eyes trailed over her son's outfit. From the strange look on her face, Deku didn't know if she approved or hated it. Somewhat distracted by his flashy green costume, she failed to notice the charring until she sniffed. A curious sound escaped her lips.

"Mom- I can explain!"

Hands on her hips, she frowned sadly.

"Go ahead."

At least she wasn't crying anymore.

"My quirk is mimicry, I think they have to be used on me in order to be copied, which would explain how I didn't realize. Earlier today Bakugou hit me with one of his explosions. It was an accident but then it clicked!"

Controlling his magic more tightly, Deku set off a small blast in his armoured palm. The look on his mother's face shifted, dawning with realization. A joyous glow washed over her before she ran towards him and scooped up her son in a bear hug.

"My baby, Deku! I'm so happy, I- I just wanted you to be happy."

They both cried tears of happiness, both sobbed with joy. He felt right now, he felt worthwhile. He wasn't quirkless anymore.

"I know mom, I know."

She pinched his cheeks.

"Your costume was so cute, who helped you make it?"

Deku fiddled with his fingers, nervously glancing away.

"Oh! The friend I told you about, she helped me sew and stuff. I used a bit of my allowance for the materials but I think it was worth it."

She sniffled.

"Ohh does my dear have a girlfriend? When can I meet her?"

Deku had no response. Mind coming up with a blank, he stuttered out a response.

"Oh, I-I sometime later. Okay?"

Nodding she release Deku from her hold. Wiping a tear from her eye, his mother relented and sat down on a nearby stool. She had a hopeful look in her eyes, one that invigorated Deku. He needed to be a hero, needed to help. Thoughts of defeating villains danced in his mind.

Deku froze. Had he killed that sludge quirk user? Mind scouring back and replaying the afternoon's events, panic overtook him. He was not a registered hero and has no license. If anybody saw him, he'd almost certainly been jailed, even if it was a villain. He was uncertain, could he claim self-defence if apprehended? Certainly, he could, but would the officers believe him?

"I need a moment Izuku. I honestly never thought this moment would happen. Can you believe it? I'm still struggling, but it doesn't matter. I'm just so happy. We can fill in those forms again, you'll get in for sure. I know you will, Deku."

Taking a much-needed deep breath, Deku attempted to calm himself down. Moody had seen him, they would have intervened. His school had dismissed and it was late in the afternoon. Nobody should have been there anyway. Raking a hand through his hair, he almost forgot that his mom was currently ecstatic about the sudden development. He'd be fine. Nobody saw.

"Yeah- Right Yeah."

Clapping her hands together, his mom beamed.

"I'll go make us some celebratory hot-chocolate, okay?"

His mother was just nice like that. The creamy and rich taste of hot chocolate was always enough to lift his mood. Normally used as a pick-me-up during his emotional downs, Deku hoped it'd be a pleasant change to have it in celebration. After nodding towards his mother, she slipped out of the room and into the kitchen. Listening as she ran the tap and filled the kettle, he smiled.

Kyubey slid into his lap once more. Its tail wagged.

"You're an excellent Liar."

The compliment did not make him feel as though a compliment should. It was not something for him to be proud of. Heroes did not deceive, but how, otherwise, could Deku be a hero? It was a regrettable thing, sure, but the damage done by deceiving words was surely grossly outweighed by vanquishing evil? Vanquishing witches as a magical boy and villains as a hero. Deku was certain of it. He could lie to keep himself safe.

"I think you'll make an excellent substitute for a hero. Your first act will be neutralizing the witch that kissed the villain. You wouldn't want him to hurt anybody else, right?"

Deku did not want the witch to hurt any others.


	2. Duel With a Witch

**Musutafu Harbour:**

Deku sighed and hesitated.

"Are you sure it's around here somewhere?"

The dock wobbled under his feet. The salty smell of ocean life lingered in his nose. The sun had long since set, moonlight shimmering across the still sea surface.

Kyubey's voice echoed in his mind.

"Yep! Look at your soul gem, it will flash faster and faster depending on how close you get to it."

The cat-bunny rode on his shoulder as Deku held out his egg-shaped gem. The green light flashed intermittently, increasingly so while facing down the dock. Common sense kicking in, the young hero made his way down the somewhat decrepit wooden boardwalk. If not for the handrails, he would've feared to slip on the algae and being swept away to sea. The harbour was never his favorite part of the city. It smelled bad, nobody swam in its polluted waters, and he lived pretty far from it anyway.

Far enough to catch the last bus out towards this part of the city an hour prior. Again, he did not like how he'd had to lie to his mom. Deku couldn't see her approving of such a late night excursion. Slipping through his open window had been easier than anticipated. Still, being away from home this late at night was somewhat unsettling. All in the name of justice, he could handle this. Being a hero would likely take him worse places than an unsightly harbour.

Ocean wind blew against his t-shirt, cooling him down enough to shiver. To Kyubey, he grumbled.

"Man, it's pretty cold out here. Hope we find the witch soon. Are you sure it's even out here?"

Kyubey snuggled into his chest.

"Yes, I am positive. Follow your soul gem and you'll be there in no time. Transforming will allow you to heat your body with magic more efficiently than if not. You'll also likely have an easier time finding the witch."

Deku paused, grinding his foot down into the wood with a shiver.

"W-wait, I can do that?"

The cat-bunny nodded.

"Certainly!"

As green light doused his body, Deku willed warmth to embrace him. No sooner than he had transformed, his shivers ceased. Even with his legs mostly exposed, not even the slightest hint of goosebumps riddled his skin. Regardless, Deku pulled up his green bunny hood out of habit. Teasing Kyubey, he laughed.

"Haha! Why didn't ya tell me earlier?"

Kyubey swishes its tail, red eyes unblinking.

"You didn't ask."

Deku shrugged, continuing to follow the now-amplified miasma to its source. Instead of walking, he could now take awkward leaps at a distance rivaling those of Olympic competitors. Awkward in that he had never done so before and unfortunately slipped on a patch of mushy seaweed. Landing right on his tailbone, Deku braced himself for pain to shoot up his spine. Instead, he simply yelped at the surprise. It wasn't as painful as he had expected. Sure, the piercing displeasure could still be felt, but disconnected somehow. Deku felt disconnected from the pain of falling.

With ease, he got back to his feet.

"You didn't see that, Kyubey, okay?"

His soft laugh followed, Deku was having fun. The closer he got and the faster his soul gem pulsed, the fun seemed to waver. He was a bit nervous about fighting the witch. Was she mean? What kind of spells would she use? Deku honestly didn't know if he had it in him to eliminate a witch, didn't know if he could stomach ending the life of another. Thinking back to his prior encounter with the sludge villain, he quelled his doubt and anxiety. Things would be fine, he needed to take down this witch if she had been sewing evil and 'kissing' citizens into doing her bidding.

Jumping up onto a nearby boat, Deku stabilized himself as it rocked underneath. It was an old vessel, rusted and somewhat stained. Not unlike the other ships, but it seemed off. Soul gem pulsing constantly now, Kyubey added.

"Here we are. Flare your energy to conjure an entrance to the Witch's labyrinth."

Green sparkles illuminated the dark boat. The air shimmered before him, not unlike heat distortion on a hot summer's day. An outline carved itself before him in blue. A greek tragedian mask adorned with hearts and cupids. Encircled by a nautical steering wheel, the symbol shimmered ethereally.

"Ohh... I-"

"Walk into the symbol to enter the witch's labyrinth."

Nodding at the instruction, the boy held his breath and jumped through the circle. The sound of a siren wailing first caught his attention. Kneeling down as he landed on what felt like a carpet, Deku took in his surroundings and whimpered.

Flashing red light intermittently illuminated the nautically themed room in sync with a blaring alarm. Water rushed into the room from a cracked porthole to his left. Watching the water gather in the corner of the room and pool, he guessed the ship to be inclined somewhat, significant enough for such to happen. Oddly surreal scraps of food littered the room, half-bitten and partially digested too. A pig's squeal caught him off guard, causing him to slink back against the damp floral wallpaper. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the flowers were crying- from which real water dripped.

Producing his leather-bound journal, Deku quickly flipped to the familiar entry before reaching in. Once he felt the cool metal gauntlet, the pig's squeal didn't seem as frightening. Kyubey was probably even more scared, considering how it had stopped speaking and trotted alongside him. Determined to find the source of the squealing, Deku carefully marched down the hallway. Water dripped from the ceiling above, pipes stuck out haphazardly. The ceiling was uneven and he swore the carpet was meant to trip people up. Passing a door to his left, the magical boy eyed it with suspicion. Almost as if on cue, the derange pig squealing rang out once more before the mahogany fixture burst open. Out came a disturbingly bloated and grey-skinned pig. Grey slime oozed from slices in its skin. An apple was jammed into its mouth, not dampening its shrill shrieking in the slightest. To stunned to react, all Deku could do was jump out of the way as the surreal pig bounded down the hallway from where he had previously left.

His voice wavered with uncertainty, and legs wobbled from both the ship's rocking and the fear coursing through his veins.

"T-that's disgusting! W-What is that thing?"

Resolutely, Kyubey responded.

"The witch's familiar, one of her servants. They sometimes splinter off into the real world and if left to fester, grow into another witch."

Deku nodded, still not any less disturbed though.

The frantic squealing of the fleeing pig was soon accompanied by a more 'refined' squealing if one could describe it like that. While the first pig squealed madly, the second source of squealing was more musical in tone, almost as if harmonizing with itself in an angelic manner. Glancing into the room, he saw another long hallway. Deku could now see the source of the angelic squealing, a pig with crudely attached angel wings flying his way. The flying pig held a bow and arrow, one that was notched. His cue to fight, Deku charged the animal while weaving in a zigzag direction. He would hopefully be harder to hit that way. The pig was likely an enemy anyway, the weapon an indication of hostility he wouldn't gamble on. Besides, he wasn't sure if the thing was real anyway. It had a certain quality to it that he couldn't describe, almost as if it was a mish-mash of drawings and photographs and toys.

This pig had no cuts nor was it gagged with an apple. This pig wore a laurel crown too. A whir in the air alerted Deku to dodge, and dodge he did. From its bow, the pig had shot a pink heart-tipped arrow. With a thunk, it stuck into the wooden wall. Water trickled into the hallway around the arrow's hole in the wall. Now mere meters from the unsightly flying pig, Deku clenched his fist and readied an explosion. Feeling his energy gather in his fist, Deku willed it to concentrate and groaned out in concentration. A green aura shimmered around his gauntlet, catching him somewhat by surprise. Squealing in realization of its own fate, the pig held up its front legs in a disturbingly human reflex. As soon as his fist made contact, a green-laced explosion rocked the hallway. Instead of blood and gore, pieces of sewn-together food flew everywhere, covered in what seemed like shreds of a pink pig-suit. The charred wallpaper shriveled up from the lingering heat, releasing tendrils of thick grey smoke. A worrying sound rattled out into the labyrinth. Splintering wood was heard by Deku before a torrent of water sprayed through a dent his explosion had created. Panicked, Deku yelped and darted back towards the opened door.

It was not the same hallway.

Instead, Deku found himself staring down a massive grand stairwell. Shining above, a comically large chandelier cast glittering lights around the room. It swayed side to side as the boat lurched and bobbed. The sound of water trickling down the ornate stairwell barely muffled the familiar and unpleasant sound of both angelic and frantic pig squealing. There were more. Dipping his left fist into the journal's page, the magical boy readied himself further for combat. Deku had been thinking of how he could apply Bakugou's quirk, thinking back to the times he had watched the blonde boy use it. As much as Deku hated to admit it, using the explosions to accelerate and increase the force of his punches was an excellent idea. Not only would it provide more momentum, the shock wave would also hopefully knock the pigs off balance. After retrieving his now-armoured left hand, he stuffed the journal safely back into his sweater pocket.

A bloated frantic pig burst through the doors at the bottom of the stairwell, skidding to a stop and squealing upon seeing the intruder. Glancing over its cut and oozing shoulder, the pig hadn't the time to react, as a flying pig rounded the corner with a notched arrow. Jumping back away from its site, Deku readied himself for combat. Whirring air. A pink arrow landed with a squelch between the eyes of the bloated pig. Grey ooze splattered everywhere after the pig deflated like a balloon. Deku gagged as a fleck landed beneath his left eye.

Kyubey hopped onto the glossy oak banister. The hero glanced at it while waiting for the flying pig to come his way. It'd be better to face it in an open room where he could dodge than a narrow elongated hallway.

"K-Kyubey! Why'd it attack its fellow familiar?"

There was a slight pause before it answered in its usual matter-of-fact way.

"Witches are creatures of grief and great mental anguish. It's impossible to decipher its motives. Auto-cannibalism is not a surprising thing for a familiar's task to be."

At least it made Deku's task easier.

With a deep breath, Deku aimed his fists behind his back. He prepared himself to strike and ambush as the angelic squealing came his way. Smoke curled from his fists. As soon as Deku saw traces of pink pass through the double door's threshold, the dual explosions detonated. The recoil sent him hurtling towards the familiar, faster than Deku was honestly comfortable with. Wind whipped at his hair, but he was airborne for mere seconds before his fists made contact and detonated once more. The move had left him slightly disorientated and nauseous, likely a combination of the leaking bloated pig's stench alongside the sudden and spiraling movement. Water pooled at his feet and rushed down through the open double doors. Smoke curled from the winged pig's corpse. This one had been filled with corn and peas.

Kyubey's voice instructed him further.

"The witch is up ahead, just down that hallway and to the left!"

If the familiars had been those disgusting animals, he dreaded facing the witch. How awful must one be to use some sort of pig necromancy? The leaking water followed him on his journey through the long and soggy labyrinth, splashing audibly with each of his steps. After rounding the corner, he came face to face once more with a set of double doors. Instead of wood, these doors were metallic in composition, resembling the swinging doors one would find in a restaurant. Pushing through them with ease, Deku gasped.

Deku sighed, emerging from the top deck of what was now clearly a sinking Titanic. He didn't try and analyze how he had managed to end up at the top deck after descending a long set of stairs, but none of this made sense and it was likely a waste of time. Madness could not be reasoned with. A chorus of pig squealing overwhelmed Deku, directing his attention to the bow of the ship. It just didn't make sense. A large dining table extended and snaked around the ship's deck. Walking towards it, he saw that the surface was moving, much like a conveyor belt. Regardless, the finely set china and utensils remained undisturbed. Not a single glass had fallen, even with the bound bloated pigs thrashing about on the table. Spotting a group of angelic pigs, Deku readied his fists but faltered. They were busy frantically lowering lifeboats and trying to escape the now half-submerged ship. Too busy with what appeared to be their luggage to notice him. Even with the ship's great tilt, the table's decoration remained undisturbed.

Darting around a smokestack, Deku came face to face with the witch.

It was nothing like he had expected, completely un-humanoid in every way.

This witch did not have green skin nor did it wear a pointy black hat. Instead, the witch was an over-sized Greek stage mask, a happy smirk worn on its face. It sat at the end of the table. Its mouth was animated, opening up to receive the bloated pigs. Beyond its lips was darkness, Deku could not see through the mask. A squealing pig entered halfway through its mouth when the mask clamped down, both bisecting and bursting the foul creature. The witch made a mess of the pig as it chewed the familiar up, swallowing it with a comically audible gulp. Another bound pig passed through its lips. Looking away, Deku stepped back. Slipping on a patch of water, he fell to the deck with an audible thunk. A shriek of pure horror sent a tingle down his spine while the hairs on his neck stood at attention. The shriek was pained and agonizing as if the witch itself was suffering.

The witch gagged. Deku barely managed to roll out of the way before a glop of grey vomit splattered where he had fallen. It sizzled away at the deck, from which water now spouted up like a geyser. This was real. The acrid smell reinforced the severity of the situation. He could die. Now on his feet, it was much easier to dodge the second spray of vomit sent his way. Not letting the witch get another chance to attack, Deku detonated explosions in his palms, sending him flying towards the witch's nose. With this trajectory, he'd hopefully be out of the splash zone.

Like he had done before, green energy shimmered around his fists midair. More than he had previously done, he charged up the nitroglycerin coating his gauntlets before he punched the porcelain mask with both fists. The sheer force of his strikes alone cracked the ivory substance, but the witch's shrieks of agony were drowned out by the green-tinted and magically imbued explosions. Flaming debris rained from the sky as Deku landed back down on the deck while the labyrinth wobbled away back to reality The hero couldn't help but pant with both relief and desperation upon his return. It was a surprising exit, Deku had figured he would've needed to find his way back out of the maze. Somewhat disoriented, he grounded himself by kneeling on the familiarly decrepit and stained boat. A harbour bell rang out and the sound of water sloshing against the boardwalk calmed his racing heart.

He had defeated a witch.

A sharp clink caught his attention, Deku flinched and raised his smoking fists in anticipation. Instead of another enemy, he simply saw a small black gem hit the ground. It rolled around on the ship's deck before coming to a stop near his feet. Picking it up, he eyed the object in suspicion. The black gem was gilded in a silver spindle, with the symbol of an arrow-pierced mask carved into the top. It felt wrong, like all of the miasma within the labyrinth condensed into an object. He placed it back on the deck, disturbed by its energy.

Kyubey sauntered out from around a corner, eyes focused on the black gem.

"That's a grief seed! I must congratulate you on defeating the witch, you handled yourself well for a first-timer."

Deku wanted to cry, either from stress or joy. He didn't know which. The adrenaline of battle still fluttered his stomach and trembled his hands. The smell of acrid vomit lingered in his nostrils. For once, he was thankful for the overbearing stench of the sea.

"I-I could have d-died! That's not w-what I was e-expecting.."

Falling to the floor, he cradled his head in his drawn-up knees. Tears stung at his eyes. He let them flow. This was too much. Kyubey walked up next to him, prompting him to glance up with blurred vision. Its expression was unreadable. Wanting to rid himself of the stench, he willed his costume away in a burst of pine-green light. With a fluttering heartbeat, he purposefully held and lengthened his exhales. His school had given them a lecture about stress management before tests. This method was effective for him in most situations, but his heart kept up its flighty rhythm.

His soul gem manifested in its egg-form. Holding it up to his eyes, Deku could see it had darkened considerably. It was no longer as radiant as it had been before. Wisps of black occasionally danced through the green.

"You can use the grief seed to cleanse it. While in a labyrinth, the witch's grief will cling to your soul gem, thus tainting and polluting it. Using magic will also deplete its charge, accomplishing the same effect. Try it, Izuku!"

Nodding at the explanation, Deku picked up the grief seed from the deck and held it next to his gem. As he brought them closer to each other, a dark mist was drawn away from the egg and into the spindle. His soul gem glowed a brilliant pine-green once more. Things would be okay, he could handle this. His reaction had been natural, adrenaline was his body's natural way of preparing him for battle. Deku was safe. A deep sigh of relief followed suit.

"I can't believe I just did that. J-Just, wow... At least it won't hurt anybody else."

Kyubey looked up at him. Deku read its blank expression as proud.

"Use of a grief seed on a soul gem not only cleanses it but strengthens it, reinforces its structure and natural defences too. Think of it as similar to how your body reacts to an immunization, it recognizes the pathogen and strengthens the immune system in general alongside providing and almost guaranteeing a more efficient response to the pathogen in the future. Now, this doesn't mean you're immune to the lingering grief in a labyrinth, but you simply grow naturally resistant at an increment proportional to the witch's strength. The one you fought was average in strength, but you should notice a change in how fast your soul gem pollutes. Not only this, but your magic use becomes more efficient and potent while your reserves grow larger! Can you imagine? It's almost like gaining experience points in a video game and you just leveled up!"

Deku couldn't help but smile. How could he not? Defeating an evil was one thing, but strengthening to this degree? It was almost too good to be true, but Deku petted and rubbed the top of Kyubey's head instead of doubting it. It had been very helpful today and yesterday. Kyubey had not only saved his life but also essentially gifted him a quirk.

"Thank you so much Kyubey! It kinda makes sense when you compare it to something like a video game. You kinda lost me at the first part, but I get it now. I couldn't have done any of this without you. I'm sorry for having a bit of a breakdown, I don't know what came over me."

Kyubey swished its tail.

"Don't worry, that was a natural and completely normal human reaction to danger. You'll get one more use from the grief seed or two if you're pushing it. The stronger a witch, the more uses you'll get from the seed and thus more 'experience'. I wouldn't overuse one if I were you. When it starts visibly radiating grief, it's full. When it's full, you should give it to me for safe disposal. Otherwise, it could hatch again, meaning you'd have to fight a strengthened version once more. Experience gain works both ways, it affects both soul gem and grief seed. Luckily, when I dispose of them, it completely neutralizes their potential to hatch. Isn't that neat?"

Deku smiled at Kyubey.

"Yeah, it really is. We should head back home now, I'd rather not have my mom discover that I'm not there at two in the morning."

It did not respond, but followed him as he began walking. An idea flashed in his mind, prompting Deku to transform in a familiar flash of green light. More mindful of his magic consumption, he reduced its flashiness to hopefully conserve it. Deku could feel the difference in efficiency from both the strengthening of his soul gem along with reducing its stylistic flair. Transforming had been quicker and more fluid, it didn't feel as heavy or intense. With Kyubey by his side, he sat on a nearby bench, staring out at the dark sea. He toyed with the feeling of his magic, played around with how it felt in his body. Sending it to his feet, he concentrated the now visible green energy there. Satisfied, he stood. Deku cracked his knuckles. Jumping into the air, he willed the his magic towards his feet before sending it out in a burst. To his delight, he received a sort of boost in the air; A double jump. It was more gentle than using Bakugou's quirk, but definitely not as fast. It also wouldn't incur any emergency distress calls and was rather silent. Landing with a thud on the pavement, he smiled. Kyubey commented.

"That is an interesting technique, it's similar to what I've seen other magical girls use."

Deku arched a brow.

"Other magical girls? Oh, well, I should have expected that. I can't be the only one fighting witches, now can I?"

Deku used his newfound technique to aid his return home. It was liberating, running and jumping across the rooftops while veiled by night. It took a few uses to acclimate to the technique, but he aced it eventually. It was not unlike playing a rhythm game, the down-stroke of his curved jump the right time for a small burst of green magic. It didn't feel all that magically draining either, compared to how Bakugou's explosions had felt. Every fibre of his being wanted to yell out in exhilaration, but he knew it'd bring him unnecessary attention. This would probably count as illegal quirk use, even though it really wasn't a quirk. As the wind whipped along his cape, he drew up his hood and tightened the drawstrings; An extra step to conceal his identity. While soaring through the skies, his mind wandered. Wandered to the idea of other magical girls or boys. He wondered what powers they had, wondered what their outfits looked like. What if somebody he knew was secretly a magical girl too? Pondering, it, he came up with a blank. He didn't know any other quirkless people his age, maybe he'd have to purposefully look. Deku had the whole summer ahead of him before the U.A entrance examinations, there was lots of time to find a magical ally.

Before he knew it, Deku landed in front of his house. All was still as he slithered in through the open window and dismissed his transformation. Forming his soul gem into its egg form, he analyzed its glow. It was admittedly not at one-hundred percent brightness, but it had definitely only depleted slightly from his extended use. Deku was fine with that, it had provided him with useful experience and mobility that he would have otherwise lacked. Plus, there was still one more use left in the grief seed. Kyubey curled up on his shelf beside his plush toys as Deku slipped under his covers. It looked like a plush toy. Sleep came easily to Deku, but he noticed an odd lack of fatigue that should have accompanied such a physically demanding fight. Thinking nothing of it, his dreams were peaceful.

 **Tatooin Shopping Center**

Deku fell to the floor upon hearing and feeling an explosive blast. Dropping the clothing his mother had wanted, he ducked for cover under a nearby display table. His heart raced, the smell of smoke spreading out into the air. Had it been a gas main break? A woman's voice cried out, 'villain.' Groaning, the young hero debated inaction. Shaking his head, he doused himself in a green light and swiftly entered his transformation. Not wanting to be powerless, Bakugou's Explosion was equipped. Having crawled under the table, he hoped nobody had been there to see him. Regardless, Deku crawled out and made his way through the courtyard, dodging a falling piece of debris and wafting through the fleeing crowd. Everything was on fire.

The site of both Death Arms and that same sludge villain made him gasp loudly. Attention brought towards him, Deku fidgeted under the quick glance of both hero and villain.

"I can handle this, young one!"

Biting his lip, the green magical boy reluctantly agreed and nodded. Death Arms could handle it, he was the officially licensed hero after all. The sludge villain sent globs of viscous liquid his way, globs that he easily dodged. The green sludge monster let out a glass-shattering screech. And attacked the bulky and official hero. He couldn't be a distraction. Deku slicked back into the growing crowd. These people were in danger of smoke inhalation and debris.

"It's not safe here, you guys need to leave."

Bystanders grumbled and complained, but eventually listened. Deku figured they believed him to have some sort of heroic authority given his apparent hero costume. Flashes of white fur became visible as the crowd dispersed. Kyubey sauntered towards him. A question popped into his mind.

"Kyubey! I thought I got rid of the witch's kiss or whatever, why is it still attacking?"

Its tail swished calmly, despite a piece of rebar embedding itself in the nearby sidewalk with a harsh clang. Kyubey's voice rang out into his mind.

"Witches are not the only source of evil. Humans are capable of evil without direct influence from a witch."

It was a somewhat depressing statement. Evil people existed and always would exist. Witches were not a scapegoat, only one cause of crime and suffering. The sludge quirk user was probably already a villain. One that had been easily preyed on by the Sinking Witch. A deep voice caught Deku's attention, specifically the mention of a kidnapping. Towards the villain, Death arms spoke.

"A child was taken hostage? You coward!"

Green eyes snapped behind him, completely ignoring both the fleeing crowd of people and Kyubey. Past the tendrils of dark green and brown, Deku could see sprigs of blonde spiky hair. No way. Further movement revealed that all-too-familiar face. Panic surged through him, enough to send him running back towards the villain before thinking it through. Death arms cried out as a wave of sludge was sent their way. Jumping up into the air, he easily hurdled over it with the boost of his green energy. Landing in a puddle of sludge, he groaned while trying to shake it off his feet. Mere meters from the shocked villain, Deku faltered. The explosion quirk would harm Bakugou. The villain sneered, taking this opening to make a grab at him. Darting back, he fell into muscular arms. Flinching, he turned to face Death Arm's scowl.

"I said, I got this!"

Pushing Deku away, he could feel the licensed hero's strength. It was immense to say the least, sending Deku tumbling back a good ten meters or so. He didn't expect anything less, having studied the hero he had seen patrolling around his neighborhood every now and again. Coughing at the rough ejection from battle as he skidded along the pavement, he wiped a smear of blood from his freckled cheek. With dread, the magical boy watched as Death Arms failed to affect the villain. A strength quirk would do nothing against an elemental body quirk. If one punched sludge it would simply flow away, reforming itself easily. Raw strength wouldn't work. Fist caught in the villain's sludge, the hero was swatted away. Crashing into a nearby storefront with a thud, the metal grated entrance dented significantly. Death Arms groaned.

Could Deku now act?

Bakugou stirred, suddenly flaring back to life in an angered rage. Fighting against the villain, he bit and tore at the sludge confining him. He yelled out in frustration.

"I won't let sewage like this swallow me!"

A flurry of explosions soon followed, he was trying his best to break the villain's hold. It was Bakugou's courage despite adversity that fueled Deku. He could take this thing on, he'd just have to be careful that's all. Death Arms had been temporarily decommissioned and there was no way in hell Deku would wait for another hero to arrive. Rhythmic thudding bounded towards them, he could spot Mt. Lady from the corner of his eye. She couldn't fit through though, she couldn't save them. It was just too risky to wait with Bakugou on the line. Amping himself up for the fight, Deku flexed both of his gauntlets, small explosions sparking up into the air. Yellow eyes locking onto him, the magical boy gulped. If he could take down a witch, this villain should be a piece of cake. The only problem was leaving Kacchan unharmed. Green light flared around him wildly and wind whipped at the crowd. Death Arms glanced. The crowd mumbled in fear and confusion. Mt. Lady watched apprehensively.

"What power..." The villain grumbled out, suddenly releasing a wide-eyed Bakugou from its grip. Tossing the boy to the side with no regard for his safety, Deku frowned. At the very least his friend was safe. Paling upon realization, Deku jumped back a few steps, the green energy dissipated from the air. Dozens of sludge tentacles grabbed for him, some growing hands and others simply attempting to wrap around his limbs. Knowing what would happen if such occurred, he was swift on his feet.

"Stupid Deku! You're in my way of destroying this punk-ass villain!"

Flinching at the aggression, Bakugou's words had distracted him enough for a disturbingly warm tendril to wrap around his ankle. With a panicked yelp, Deku thrust his palm towards it and detonated an explosion. Withdrawing in surprise as the sludge splattered away from him, the green hero exploited this new opening. Diving towards the monster with an explosion boosted velocity, green energy reinforced his fists. Instead of sinking into the creature, his fists audibly smacked against the surface, a gargling howl soon following. As Deku's mimicked explosions blasted the villain to bits once more, he jumped back to take a breath. Bits of charred sludge rained down around them, Kyubey commented. Wind blasted through the streets, papers flew everywhere and citizens braced against the wind force.

"That was a public use of your powers. They'll assume it to be a quirk, but be careful. That was a clever use of your magic! You consistently surprise me, Izuku Midoriya."

Deku was gathering the words to respond. Before they could be uttered, A harsh shriek interrupted his thoughts.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

The magical boy froze. With choppy and jittery movements, Deku drew his sweater drawstrings and faced Bakugou. The hood did little to hide his fearful pallor nor his characteristic green hair. Backing up slowly, he yelped upon hitting a bench.

"Oh, I-"

"What did you do to Deku and why did you steal my quirk? What kind of fucking costume is that?" Rage dripped from his words, and suddenly, Deku was back in middle school.

"I swear that's not what happened, Kacchan! Y-you know when you h-hit me, right? I felt something off then because of your explosions. I p-played around with that feeling and I discovered my quirk. I really thought that I had been quirkless, but apparently, I'm able to mimic the quirks that are used on me. See?"

From the tips of his fingers, small explosions sparked and popped.

It did nothing to calm Bakugou.

"GIVE IT BACK! YOU'RE NOT DEKU!"

There was no reasoning with Bakugou now. Drooling with rage, his eyes were impossibly wide. Deku had never seen Kacchan this angry before. An explosive fist was sent his way. Jumping back with a green-enhanced step, the fist missed him completely. Fight or flight kicking in, his body opted for flight. Too many eyes watched him. Death Arms. Deku. Mt. Lady. The crowd undulated with excitement. Media would arrive soon too, he couldn't be here for any of that. Like he had practiced the previous night, Deku took flight. Soaring through the air was easier now than it had been at night, from both his experience and daylight guiding him forward.. Each step sent an ethereal green burst from his feet.

Death Arms got up from the wall. Groaning loudly, he came to face the stunned crowd. He sympathized. Too much had occurred for him to react. The boy had worn a costume and so probably hadn't arrived on accident. A problem was now evident to both him, the crowd, and Mt. Lady. They had never seen or heard of this green hero before. It was a problem he mentioned to the reporter while answering her questions. Although to her, he said that the boy wore a green outfit but he couldn't see his face and that he didn't think the middle schooler was a vigilante. That was a complete lie, he distinctly remembered the smattering of freckles, but nobody else besides him and the villain had been close enough to see past his hood. That boy had saved his friend- or enemy from what he saw. No, it was probably a brother, they both had similar quirks and were fighting as if habitual. An argument had followed, something about stealing and being able to do anything. An ambulance took away the blonde middle-schooler, the kid who had previously been imprisoned by the sludge. He felt bad for the poor kid, knowing how frightening the experience of suffocation was.

With each burst, Deku flew further and further from the shopping district. He was fine with that. The other heroes could handle the rest. He was sure that Mt. Lady would do her thing and finish up helping the people. From the sirens he had heard, the police were nearing too. He wasn't running away, he was practicing self-preservation. He wasn't a vigilante hero, he just wanted to save his friend. The wind rushing across his face was not enough to dry his tears. Deku was crying again, but this time from happiness. Bakugou was okay. The sight of him being swallowed up by the sludge would be with him for a while. It had been truly disturbing seeing his friend overpowered like that.

When he eventually landed near his home, he willed away his transformation in a small flash of green light. Sweat dotted at his skin, he held his soul gem in hand. It had only slightly dulled. He wouldn't worry about it for now. He could go witch hunting another time and he still had the remaining use of that grief seed. Knocking on his front door, His mother greeted him with a smile. She glanced at his hands.

"Umm, Izuku, where are the things you bought?"

Deku scratched at his hair and blushed.

"Mom, didn't you see the villain attack on the news?"

Worried, she grabbed him up in a huge. Deku sighed, his face would have been hidden by his hood and the media crews hadn't arrived by the time he made his escape. Things would be fine.

"Oh my sweetie, you weren't hurt, were you? Here, I'll take you to the clinic for a quick checkup, make sure you didn't get a concussion or anything."

As much as Deku disliked the doctor's office, he'd go if it pleased his mother. She honestly cared for him, and that was enough.

* * *

 **Witch Data:** The Feast Witch

 **Name:** Rose

 **Nature:** Indifference

The witch of feasts. Her nature is indifference. An extremely indifferent witch that pays no heed to her sinking ship. Forgoing survival in favor of feasting, she is purposefully oblivious. Food distracts her from the inevitable, and she will consume anybody in order to put off facing reality. Her favorite snack is her own minions, she can never get enough. Regardless of how much she fills her stomach, she will always vomit them right back up. It's never enough. One can easily defeat this witch by letting her be, leaving her to sink and drown in the frigid arctic sea as her ship eventually sinks.

 **Familiar Data:**

 **Name:** Jack

 **Duty:** Hunt the passengers.

Minions of the Feast Witch. Their duty is to hunt the passengers. These minions hunt and stalk through the halls of the ship, flying with their perfect angelic wings. Upon finding a passenger or a lost human, they will hunt them with their cupid's arrows until near-death. After being bound with ice, they will bring their prey to the queen witch. Some Jacks are disobedient, choosing to gorge themselves on a passenger instead. These disobedient Jacks are always punished by the witch, consuming them as well.

 **Name:** Passenger

 **Duty:** Livestock

Minions of the Feast Witch. Their duty is to be livestock for their witch. These minions roam and graze through the halls of the sheep, feeding on the carpet and wallpaper. Having a taste for red carpet, they often congregate in herds. Knowing no way to stop feeding, they often end up bloated and leaking digestive juices. Passengers will flee from anybody, Jacks or humans.


	3. Friendship

**Musutafu Suburbs:**

It was later next evening when he ran into Bakugou again. Deku had been asked to fetch the items. The ones he would have already gotten for his mother if not for the villain's attack. His clinic checkup had been fine, absolutely no signs of physical trauma from the incident. His mother had been pleased with that. Normally, she'd never let him go back outside after an event such as that, but she felt as if he could handle himself now. It was a thinly-veiled way of her saying that she didn't fear for her son anymore now that she thought he possessed a quirk.

Golden light cast the residential street in a warm glow. The sun was setting, Deku smiled. Cars passed him and birds called out lazily. The peacefulness was disturbed by the repetitive sound of pounding footsteps. They neared him. Deku glanced over his shoulder, flinching somewhat.

"Kacchan...?" He muttered in a confused state.

Bakugou stopped running around three meters or so from him. Planting his hands on his knees, the blonde boy caught his breath. His breathing was labored and obstructed by saliva. Deku gripped the strap of his bag nervously. Though, as time went on, the exhausted panting turned to panting from anger. Bakugou was seething.

"I never asked you for help!"

Deku stepped back, his ring humming with discontent. No, he didn't need to transform. Bakugou noticed the fear, exploiting it as he took another step forward with a cruel scowl. Clenching his hands, he shook with anger. Before giving Deku a chance to respond, he continued.

"And I never asked you for help! Got it?'

His ring resonated stronger. Deku took another step back. Sweat beaded at Bakugou's forehead.

"I was fine by myself."

They both knew that definitely wasn't true.

"You're still a quirkless failure to me. I don't know what kinda black magic shit you did, but you didn't get any of that power without my help. You said it yourself, right? I'm the reason you developed that pathetic mimicry quirk. Isn't it funny, how the only way you can fight is by copying other people? Even your quirk is pathetic just like you. Don't think you can look down on me!"

It was a conscious effort to restrain his transformation. His body begged him to, begged him to protect himself from this very real threat. Bakugou wouldn't take it too far though, right? Deku hoped he wouldn't do anything drastic, they had known each other since childhood. That meant nothing now though. Deku glanced towards the ground, remembering how Bakugou had urged him to commit suicide. That had been the moment, the moment when it had gone too far. Deku would never forgive him for that, praying on his fragile emotions and depressingly low self-esteem.

Clenching his brow, Kacchan spat out.

"Are you trying to make me owe you? Don't look down on me! You damn nerd!"

If anything, it was the opposite. Deku wanted nothing to do with the bully. He didn't need to have anything to do with him anymore. They weren't friends. As the menaced turned away and stomped off, Deku couldn't help but let out a laugh fueled by relief. His soul gem stopped resonating, he was safe. It was embarrassing how much that encounter had affected Deku. Heart racing, he chucked awkwardly and continued on his way home. Bakugou would never change. Even with a quirk, the boy would still find a way to antagonize him. The silver lining was that albeit begrudgingly, Kacchan had accepted his prior explanation. Bakugou believed his newfound abilities to be a quirk, even if somewhat suspicious. Deku didn't know if that suspicion was genuine or misplaced anger.

* * *

Half-an-hour of walking down the road later, a girl rounded the corner. He glanced up at her. White hair curled around her head in a side-chignon. Her outfit was plain, simple, he recognized it from the nearby high school. He would be going there if he didn't make it into U.A. Wind blew at Deku's hair, he brushed it from his eye. His soul gem resonated, but not from fear. It was picking up magic. She glanced at him momentarily but faltered. Her smile was warm, inviting. Kyubey strode up alongside her. Deku couldn't help but gasp at the realization. A ring was worn on her finger, a silver one embedded with a golden-yellow stone. Shaped like a sun, he stared a bit too obviously.

"Y'know, my eyes are up here."

She laughed but Deku blushed. It was a funny innuendo, one meant to break the ice.

"Oh, yeah, I was just a bit surprised, that's all. You're a-"

She nodded, interrupting him.

"Yes, I am. We have some things I'd like to discuss."

Kyubey stared, jumping up to sit on a nearby bench.

"Mind if I drop off these things to my mom first? I kinda wasn't able to do it yesterday and I don't want to bail out on her again."

He held up the shopping bags for her to see, not struggling with the weight as he usually did.

The girl nodded, brushing a loose strand of white hair from her eyes. They walked alongside each other to Deku's home, one noticeably more awkward than the other. Hands stuffed in his pockets, Deku pointedly kept quiet. He didn't have anything to say, and his surprise would probably mess up any words too. The girl was unperturbed, she wasn't as surprised. Her uniform was pretty, pale beige accented with browns and greens. Deku wondered if he'd get to wear that outfit, but didn't dwell on it. He wouldn't be going to that high school anyway, it was not of his concern. It was nice to wonder though, what his life would've been like if he didn't feel the burning passion for heroics.

They still hadn't spoken much by the time they ascended the steps to his front door. Knocking quietly, Deku hoped she wasn't home. He knew what she'd think, and wanted to avoid all of that mess. If she wasn't home, he could simply place the bags up in her room and deal with the problem at hand. He didn't think it was a problem- more like something that urgently needed to be addressed. Steps thudded towards the door. She was home. Deku glanced at the girl nervously, still somewhat in disbelief. It had all happened so fast, he still didn't even know her name. He had forgotten to ask.

His mother's eyes widened at the sight before her lips grew up in a smug grin.

"My dear found his girlfriend on the way? You weren't trying to sneak her in, were you, Izuku?"

Flushing a deep red, the girl simply laughed. A voice resonated in his mind, but it was not Kyubey's.

"Want me to play the part? I'm assuming you've had to resort to a few excuses after contracting. Hell knows I have."

Still looking at his mother, he attempted to think out loud to the girl. To his doubt, the effort was successful.

"Yes, please. She thinks my nonexistent girlfriend was the one who stitched my costume. I told her it was for if I get into U.A. I'm not the best at lying so it kinda just happened. Thank you for covering for me."

Still blushing, Deku responded out loud to his mother

"Yeah, we met at school. No, I wasn't trying to sneak her in. I just came to return what you sent me out for, we saw each other on the street and decided to hang out."

The white-haired girl nodded with a small laugh, corroborating his story.

"Did Izuku-Kun show you the costume I made for him? He told me he was applying for U.A so I wanted to offer a token of my support."

From the way his mother smiled at her, he could tell she approved. She bought it so far. The girl spoke to him mentally once more.

"My name is Kazane Otsuka, pleased to meet you. Izuku-kun."

His blush deepened. At least he knew her name now. Inko opened the door further for them, beckoning her son and his girlfriend inside.

Deku scratched at his green hair.

"Actually mom, me and Kazane were planning to go bowling. You don't mind, do you?"

Inko's smile didn't falter. Instead, she beamed and said in a false whisper.

"Ohhh? A date? My son is growing up! Have fun, Izuku."

Waving them goodbye, she held out her hand for the parcels, taking them and gently closing the door. Deku turned to glance at Kazane. Gripping her sides, the girl let out an unrestrained bellow of laughter. Tears stung at her eyes as she slapped Deku's shoulder amiably. At least Kazane wasn't uncomfortable.

"Bowling, eh? Sure know how to make a woman feel special."

This time, Deku successfully held back his blush. He wouldn't let her know how much her teasing affected her. Anything to do with relationships in general just made him break out in a rosy red. Walking down the stairs, she tightened the straps on her bookbag.

"At least she believed us, Kazane. I'd rather her think I managed to get a girlfriend than think I'm up to no good."

Unhelpfully, Kazane added.

"She could be thinking both, y'know, my mother warned me about what boys were like."

Letting out a gasp, he smiled at how outrageously funny she was. The warm feeling in his chest was foreign to him, foreign to him save for rare moments when Bakugou wasn't yelling at him or degrading him. Needless to say, it had been a long time since that warmth filled his chest. He could get used to her snarky attitude, he liked it a lot. Kazane was genuinely funny as if banter was second-nature to her.

"Haha. Umm, where are we headed now? You said you wanted to talk to me about stuff?"

She nodded.

"I thought you were taking me bowling?"

Deku shook his head in comic exasperation.

"No, we're not going bowling. Who even bowls anymore?"

Kyubey strolled behind them, lagging along.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't remember the last time I've bowled. We can go to a park or something if you'd like. I'm not sure if that's too public though to talk about this stuff."

Deku motioned to his ring, implying what he meant in regard to 'this stuff'.

"It's getting late, I don't think too many people will be there. Even if there are, they'll probably just dismiss us as teenagers talking about the latest manga."

She was right, all of this magical girl stuff really did sound straight out of a crappy manga. He wasn't sure if that was a bad or a good thing.

"Lead the way, then? I'm not the best at directions."

Kazane smirked and strolled down the sidewalk. It had been overcast earlier in the day but the heavy clouds had passed. The sun still hung half-way covered by the distant skyscrapers downtown, they still had a few hours of sunlight left. He figured it'd be enough time to cover whatever it was that Kazane wanted. Maybe she just wanted to be friends or allies, he hoped that to be the case.

Deku swung idly as he sat in the swing set. Directly next to him, Kazane did the same. She swung much higher though. He didn't swing, knowing it'd likely incur a wave of nausea. There was just something about the repetitive force of swinging backward and up into the air that disagreed with his stomach. Kazane was the first to break the idle chit-chat about the weather and recent news. She brushed a loose strand of white hair from her forehead, placing it back into the side bun.

"So you're a magical boy, eh? Kyubey never told me boys could contract."

He dug his shoes into the crushed stone beneath the swing.

"Yeah, I am. I figured something like that was on the go. He seemed unsure of what to call me. What'd you wish for?"

She paused, pointedly. The chain on her swing creaked as the wind picked up.

"That's- um..."

Deku interrupted.

"No, no! It's fine, sorry, it's probably really personal. I was getting chased by that sludge villain on the news a few days ago, before the mall attack. I managed to hide from it and Kyubey just strolled up to me and offered me a wish. I think I wished to become a hero like I had always wanted, something like that. I don't remember the exact words, but you get the jist of it, right?"

Kazane nodded, slowing herself down by dragging her uniform shoes on the ground. Dust kicked up into the air but was dispersed by a lone gust of wind.

"You're quirkless, right?"

Deku nodded.

"And you are too."

Kazane sighed but agreed.

"Yeah. Kyubey explained that part to me about interference or whatever. It made me feel not so bad about being quirkless, like I was destined to be a magical girl or something. Izuku, tell me, were you the green-costumed boy I've been hearing rumors about online? I read the report about what happened at the Tatooin shopping center, that was a courageous thing to do. Not many people would risk exposing their powers in exchange for saving one person."

It gave Deku something to think about. Why had he saved Bakugou? Any other person would have let their tormentor and abuser suffer, but Deku had been compelled by those almost-pleading eyes. Deku couldn't have ignored Bakugou's silent cry for help. Still, he was a bit nervous over the whole publicity ordeal. Nobody had seen his face but rumors could still pose a problem. He silently prayed that the buzz would die down, and not come back to bite him in the ass upon applying to U.A. Would they know? Deku shook his head, his face had been concealed. Plus, it's not as if Mt. Lady or Death-Arms would be at the school to identify his costume. He took a deep breath, he'd be fine.

"I still feel bad about not neutralizing the villain the first time I faced him. I know that it's not like I could've known about its ability to reform if separated, but still. A lot of people were hurt and property was destroyed. That person I saved used to bully me about being quirkless, actually. He's the reason I was hanging around at school late anyway. There was just something about the way he looked at me when he was being swallowed up by that villain. There was no way I could've stood idly by when I knew I had the power to do something. I think, as a magical boy, that I have both the responsibility to fight both villains and witches. Help use this blessing for good, right?"

She wasn't meeting his eyes. Her tone was tired, fitting to the golden ambiance.

"You did all that you could. I wish that I was as selfless as you. Not gonna lie, but I really don't deal with villains or any of that heroics stuff if I don't have to. I stay in my lane and they can stay in theirs. I know it sounds harsh, but I just don't want to use the extra magic. That's not to say you shouldn't either, it's just not for me. Ugh, I'm probably explaining myself badly."

She shook her head, unhappy at her own words. Deku fiddled with his ring, feeling it resonate with the airy and light feeling of Kazane's soul gem. It felt different than his as if it had a unique magical signature.

"My mom doesn't get it either. I've always wanted to be a hero like All-Might, ever since I was young. Even after being diagnosed as quirkless, I didn't suppress my dream. That's why I want to use my magic to help others, even if it's unneeded. You're probably taking the logical route, which I should honestly be doing too."

Again, Kazane shook her head.

"No, you should follow your dream. You're applying to U.A, right? That's probably a good thing, they'll teach you a lot of skills that'll probably be useful to your life as a magical boy. I considered it too but decided against it for my own reasons. I wouldn't have an explanation as to how I had suddenly- Yeah."

Deku now understood that he was lucky, lucky to have the power of mimicry. It was honestly a believable way for him to explain why he didn't use to have a quirk.

"Yeah, I'm applying to U.A before school starts up again. I feel like it's my duty. Thank you, I appreciate the encouragement."

Kazane didn't respond, simply choosing to swing in silence. A few peaceful moments under the sun's glow later, she added with a stern look.

"You shouldn't be this friendly with other magical girls, not that I mind though. They often compete aggressively for grief seeds and defend their territory. It's not uncommon for one to kill another over territorial disputes."

Deku paled, facing Kazane. Words failed to breach his lips.

"I-I-, didn't know that. I g-guess that makes sense. I never thought ab-bout that before. Are you l-like that?"

Adrenaline coursed through his veins, but his ring did not resonate.

"No, I'd have killed you already if that were the case. I need an ally, somebody at my back. If you were moral enough to risk your life to save your bully, I can trust you. It's hard, sometimes, I just need somebody I can talk to about this stuff, or bowl with."

She laughed, then continued.

"Kyubey's great and all, but he's not another human."

A deep exhaled pushed itself from Deku's nostrils. He had subconsciously held his breath, fearing her answer. Part of him knew she just wasn't like that. Swinging somewhat, he contemplated the idea of a hostile magical girl. He'd have to be more careful about demonstrating his abilities. It wasn't just quirk regulatory bodies he had to worry about. Following the idea of grief seeds and their apparent value to the logical conclusion, the territorial and competitive aspects made sense. Part of him just didn't want to think of that though, part of him wanted to relish the goodness of being a magical girl. Just as some quirk users were evil, some magical girls were evil too. They were no different.

"I take it this is your territory then? Sorry about that witch near the harbour, I had no idea actually."

A simple nod was enough to let Deku know it wasn't a problem.

"It was a bit concerning though, I must admit. I woke up in the middle of the night after my soul gem picked up a large flare of magic. You can probably slightly sense mine, some have described it as peaceful and light, somewhat cottony. I've never felt my own though so I can't confirm that. Normally, new contractees don't know how to reduce their magical signature, so it's not like I assumed you to be some veteran taking my territory."

Kazane took a breath, clearly caught up in explaining everything to Deku.

"We'll have to work on getting you to passively conceal your signature. It gives you away to most magical girls and witches nearby. I can tell from the difference in signature intensity that you've probably used a grief seed or two. I'm not sure if Kyubey told you yet but using a grief seed reinforces most aspects of your gem. Signature being one them, it restrains it and allows you to control your magic more precisely. Think of umm... How when you reduce the size of a waterspout, it has a higher pressure."

He was thankful for the explanation, as well as the analogy. It made sense in a way he couldn't explain.

"That's a great analogy! And yeah, Kyubey told me a bit about the grief seed usage thing, but not about my magical signature."

Kyubey stalked up to the two along the nearby monkey bars. Deku faced him, pondering his question and its phrasing. He didn't want to offend it, immensely thankful for the opportunity to contract in the first place.

"Why didn't you tell me about my magical signature, Kyubey?"

His tone was light-hearted, intentionally so. In response, Kyubey swished its tail rhythmically and spoke to both of them telepathically.

"Oh! Well, I felt like you two would make a great match and so if I did tell you how to control it, she wouldn't have been able to track you. Besides, Kazane is better at explaining these things than I."

Deku nodded and blushed, unable to meet Kyubey's eyes. Quietly, he said.

"Sorry for doubting your or whatever, I was just confused, that's all."

Kyubey cocked its head.

"It's no issue."

Kazane laughed amiably at them, reaching over to pat Deku on the shoulder.

"Yeah, as I was saying, my territory extends from the harbour to around the Tatooin shopping centre."

"Oh? Who's territory is it up by U.A? I'll probably be heading there in a few months."

Kazane bit her lip.

"That's the thing. I don't know. I've gone up there before to take out a witch, but I felt like I was being watched. I knew after defeating the witch that it wasn't my territory and so I got out as fast as possible. There was no need for conflict, and I didn't want to waste magic fighting. I'm sure it'll be fine. Anyways, how are you taking things? Do you need to talk about anything?"

At the question, Deku let out a sigh of relief. Pushing himself around on the swing, he let his muscles relax.

"I'm pretty tired actually. Other than that, I'm content. I think I'm taking things rather well, but I must admit to being excited about everything. I know how serious being a magical boy is after fighting my first witch. It wasn't what I imagined at all."

"What did you imagine, Izuku?"

Deku hesitated, nervous about seeming naive.

"Well, I expected pointy hats and green skin. Not a giant mask and flying pigs. The mask was eating its own- what's the word? Familiars- yeah, them. It vomited them back up at me and I barely got out of the way. You can call me Deku, only my teachers, and mom calls me Izuku."

She contemplated his words but didn't show any signs of an adverse reaction.

"Yeah, that's pretty normal for a witch."

Swinging her legs from the seat, she added.

"Oh! Like dekiru. I think it's fitting for a magical boy."

Deku wouldn't inform her of its ironic meaning, there was no reason to be a downer when things were positive. Instead, he asked.

"What's my magic signature like? Can you describe it?"

Kazane stood from her swing and yawned before approaching him. The crushed rock ground with each step.

"Hmm, since you're not transformed I can only slightly feel it even at this distance, but it's there. I don't know how to say it without sounding kinda mean, but it feels very analytical, but not in a judgmental kinda way. Fluttery, too, like your stomach after too much caffeine. I think that sums it up, yeah."

Satisfied, Deku got up too. That tidbit of information wasn't wasted on him though, his magical signature was restrained when not transformed. Having caught her yawn, he let out a restrained sound of exhaustion as well.

"I promise I'm not judging you, haha."

She playfully punched his shoulder. It didn't hurt.

"I know, I know. Tomorrow I can teach you a few things and go over the basics again in case you forget stuff. I'll meet you at your house in the evening and we'll go back to mine. After that, we can probably search for a witch. I'll teach you effective strategies for that too. Down?"

Deku's response was a bit too quick and eager.

"Yeah!"

Kazane rubbed at her eyes.

"Here-"

She held out her phone, the screen showing an empty contact sheet. Taking it in hand, he typed in his phone number alongside filling in a few other fields such as his birthday and address. Sending himself a text, he confirmed that it worked upon feeling his own phone vibrate against his leg. Deku smiled. He handed it back to Kazane with that same hopeful grin.

"I put in my birthday too, and my address and stuff. Just so you'll have it if needed."

Nodding and turning away, she added.

"I know my way home, and thanks for the number. See you tomorrow, alright? I might text you if I finish my chores before bed. This was a lovely chat."

Kyubey followed Kazane away.

Deku lingered in the park after her exit, swinging alone before leaving too. His mother was asleep on the couch by the time he returned home. He was thankful, as it prevented probing questions about his 'date' that he was sure would have otherwise occurred.

* * *

Kazane showed up the next day at the exact time she said she would. Staring at his slightly-dimmed soul gem on the counter, he spooned soggy cereal into his mouth. His mom couldn't see the thing, for which he was glad. The cereal was bland and gross, but apparently healthy. As the last spoonful entered his mouth, his phone vibrated with a notification. Mother hearing it too, she inquired.

"Who's that, dear? Is it Kazane?"

Nodding, he didn't bother responding. She'd probably say something embarrassing. Deku didn't want to hear anything like that. Since it was on the edge between spring and summer, Deku decided to forego a sweater or vest. It was warm enough as to where such was not needed. Glancing at the message, it read.

'Kazane: I'm outside now, can't wait to bowl :)'

LIghtly laughing, he slipped on his shoes and descended outside. The fresh vernal air engulfed him. He could smell blooming flowers on the wind. She looked up at him, a smile forming on her face. Her hair was done up in that side-chignon that complimented her facial structure nicely. Kyubey stood perched on her shoulder.

"Hey, Deku. Ready for a training session with Kazane? People have told me that I'm a very harsh teacher.

The duo continued down the street, towards the same direction as the park.

"Yeah, I'm ready. If it'll help me use my powers more efficiently and safely, I'll write essays if I have to.

She smiled once more.

"Enthusiasm always makes these things a little easier."

Deku turned into the park, but Kazane glanced back as she strolled past.

"C'mon, we're not going there. It's one thing to talk about magical stuff in public, but another to actually use it. There's an abandoned apartment complex near my house, it has an enclosed courtyard we can train in. Nobody should be there, and if there are they're not the kinda people that would be believed if they saw us and reported illegal quirk use or something."

He was fine with the idea, but trekking through an abandoned building didn't seem ideal. What if they stepped on a nail and contracted tetanus? What if they ran into a bunch of delinquents or even drug dealers for that matter? No, he told himself. Kazane had more sense than that to lead him into a drug den. Worst case scenario was that maybe a few homeless people were squatting somewhere in the building.

Fifteen minutes of walker later, they stopped in front of the large grey building. Cracked windows loomed overhead. Moss hung down and flowed with the wind. It was definitely abandoned. A crow cawed ominously. They glanced at each other, one smiling and the other hesitant. Surrounded by a tall fence, Deku took the initiative and slid his shoe into a link. About halfway up, he heard the sound of a creaking gate and groaned. Kazane had simply gone up to the unlocked gate and opened it. Needless to say, he found himself blushing while climbing back down. She didn't comment, and Deku viewed it as an act of mercy. The stained front door opened with ease. Dust hung in the air.

"Don't we need a mask?"

Kazane shook her head.

"No, our soul gems will passively heal the accumulation of toxins or pathogens. It uses a negligible amount of magic so don't worry."

He nodded as if what she had just said was completely normal. At least he'd never have to worry about food poisoning again, or the bout of cold he'd always get infected with once in the summer and winter. Still, it felt weird to be breathing in all of that dust. He coughed as something scratched at his throat. The building was dark, to be expected from the shattered fluorescent lights. It was peaceful.

Light flooded the hallway as Kazane pushed her way through another heavy door. Walking out into the light, they both entered the courtyard. It was about half the size of a soccer field, providing plenty of room for what Deku assumed would be magical training. A soft groan entered his ears as he saw Kazane sitting down on a patch of grass.

"Isn't it nice here? I found this place while hunting a witch. She had holed herself up here in the courtyard. I came back after though, I just love how disconnected it makes me feel like I'm in a post-apocalyptic movie or something."

Deku could definitely understand the appeal.

"So where do we begin?"

Holding up her arm, she pointed her outstretched arm towards him. Sunlight glinted off the golden-yellow soul gem.

"Well-"

Her body erupted in a gleam of golden light. Deku's soul gem was enveloped in that light airy comforting signature. It felt nice.

"We transform."

The sunlight seemingly intensified as white feathers encircled her like a twister. Wisps of clouds circled above as white feathers clung to parts of her body. Deku gasped as she seemingly caught on fire in golden sparkly flames. A piece of brilliant white armor formed on her chest. It looked like something a knight would wear from one of his video games, gilded with gold and somewhat opalescent. From the bottom of the chest-plate, a golden shimmering skirt erupted, knife-pleated and somewhat stiff. On her hands, a pair of lightly-armored dark cream gloves formed. They weren't heavy by any means, but seemingly offered a decent amount of protection. A golden circlet grew from her forehead, passing through her white hair and glinting with the intensified sunlight. To protect her feet, a pair of opalescent white boots formed, trimmed with gold accents and winged on the heels with white feathers. A star-shaped brooch was embedded over her heart, it teemed with sunlight.

Deku watched with star-filled eyes, taking in every moment of her transformation. It was cool, to say the least. His outfit was definitely not as cool, he honestly wanted armor like that. She laughed warmly at his apparent admiration.

"Once again, my eyes are up here."

His barely came to rival, papers flying about and revealing his green and plush outfit. She seemed just as fascinated as he had been watching hers. It made him wonder, did he look as good as her? It was a frivolous thought, but he wondered if people would take him seriously as a hero in his outfit. From appearance alone, it would seem to a stranger to serve no tactical purpose. If anything, the cape and sweater would serve as a detriment by restricting his movement.

Running up to him, she grabbed him a bear-hug. Almost crushingly tight, she gushed.

"Oh my god, you're so cute! I love your bunny-rabbit sweater, it definitely suits you."

Kazane stepped back, sitting on a large piece of concrete debris.

"You're welcome. I thought it was kinda embarrassing at first, to be dressed like this as a guy, but I don't mind it if its the price to pay for my wish and abilities."

She nodded.

"Now, I'll show you and talk about my own magic and abilities."

Holding her gloved hand out, golden flames erupted and cloaked it. Deku held back a yelp of surprise, holding back his instinct to help her extinguish it. The flames were pretty to look at, similarly, golden sparkles emanating instead of smoke. Approaching her, he felt no heat from the magical flames.

"Oh wow, it's so pretty! What do the flames do?"

Throwing a glob down onto a nearby twig, he watched as it began smoldering and crackling. Now, he could feel the heat.

"My flames will either heal or burn, it's quite useful actually. On the downside, it's only ever one at once. I can't for example, douse a familiar in flames while healing myself. I'd have to stop attacking all-together to heal somebody. You can probably heal yourself with your magic too but at a significantly less potent and efficient level. I wouldn't rely on it if I were you. My wish was centered around healing and so it's one of the powers granted to me. Kyubey explained that part to me, about how our wishes influence the powers we receive. My other ability is clairvoyance. In my transformation, I have a naturally enhanced aim and can use my magic for clairvoyance. I can see places if I have already been there. For example, if I really wanted to, I could see if people were playing at that park right now."

Deku nodded, contemplating both the applications of her abilities alongside the possible link between his wish and his own magic. Kazane likely excelled at ranged combat.

"That's a very interesting set of abilities. Can you control your flames from a distance?"

She nodded, seemingly reaching into her soul gem and retrieving a crossbow after another burst of gold light. It was a weapon that would compliment her abilities nicely. Using a crossbow and clairvoyance would probably let her pull off long-distance attacks at great speed.

Deku hummed in content.

"Sweet! Do you have to reload it with anything?"

Instead of responding, she demonstrated.

Golden light solidified into a bolt, automatically cocking itself back with the crossbow's string. In a loud snap, the bolt shimmered through the air and into a nearby wall. Golden sparkles lingered in the path of its trajectory. Cracks in the concrete wall spider-webbed out from the impact. The noise would probably prevent stealth attacks, the one apparent downside to her magic. As if having given a performance, Kazane bowed, seemingly pleased with her self from her smug grin.

Motioning towards him, Deku jolted and realized it was now his turn to share.

"I showed you mine, you show me yours."

Deku blushed at the innuendo, failing to meet her eyes for a second.

Reaching into his pocket, he produced that familiar leather-bound journal. Opening it, he was surprised to see more than the one lone page about Bakugou. An impressed sound escaped his lips. Two more pages were present, subsequently titled Hamamoto Fukusaburu: Superhuman Strength and Kubota Tsurayaki: Sludge Form. Much like Bakugou's page, they contained a small list of information and general observations he had made mentally during their fight. The journal seemed to be a mix of things he had observed during battle alongside things he hadn't known. For example, the two of their names. It was a weird feeling to gain that information without having to ask. Honestly, it made him feel like he had invaded their private lives. Well, for Hamamoto anyway, he had no regard for the sludge villain's privacy. Flipping back to Bakugou's page, Deku noticed that it had updated. Underneath his quirk outline, there was a small bar that extended to and read seven out of ten. Beneath, "magic cost' was listed.

Certainly a useful feature. He briefly wondered how long it would take for the other pages to update.

All of which Deku remembered being told, so there weren't any secrets or anything. Alongside a delicately drawn portrait, was a small biography of personal details.

"Uhh, sorry, I'm trying to pick what to show you."

Her ears perked up and she grinned.

"Oh really? I thought you were just reading a book."

The sarcasm amused Deku, he found it genuinely funny.

The explosion quirk was not what he wanted to test out right now. He already knew what it could do. Instead, he flipped to the page on Hamamoto. Reaching into the paper, that cold feeling enveloped his right arm. He could feel that armor solidifying around his fingers, but not like the gauntlets from Bakugou. The change was almost immediate when he removed his hand from the page. It surprisingly did not cause pain. Deku's form grew taller, gaining about a foot or two, muscles bulking up significantly. This quirk came with a pair of knuckle dusters made from that same pine-green metal. The shift was similar in appearance to Death Arms, he thought. Kazane gazed at him with a hint of worry. He was unsure if she approved. Having this much muscle mass felt weird, it wasn't like him. His arms couldn't even rest flat against his sides, it was honestly embarrassing. He placed the journal back into his pocket, noticing how the weight completely disappeared upon letting go.

"I didn't know I'd end up like this haha. It doesn't suit me at all. At least my costume grew with me."

If his outfit was not weaved from his magic or whatever arcane source, it would have surely ripped, scarring Kazane for life. She raised an eyebrow. Kazane didn't understand.

"How come you didn't know, isn't this your magic?"

Deku shook his head, staring down at his muscular body.

"My magic is to mimic quirks. This quirk belongs to Death Arms. I haven't used it before."

Kazane blanked. Her face lit up with a toothy grin.

"Holy shit Deku! Do you know how strong that is? You can practically get anything you want! I'm so glad we met up, we can be a real team together. Hold on now, I'm trying to think of somebody I know with a really strong quirk."

Deku beamed. Never in his life had he ever thought those words would be uttered to him. Never in his life did he think somebody would praise his strength. None of this would have been possible without Kyubey. It was all thanks to him.

"Haha, I wouldn't get too excited. It's not that easy for me to mimic somebody's quirk. It has to be used on me, probably when I'm transformed, and then it appears on a page in my journal. Depending on the quirk, I think it has a magic draining rate. The explosion quirk I have is rated seven out of ten for magic usage, whatever that means."

Kazane tapped her chin.

"Well, what's the 'rating' for that quirk there?"

Deku retrieved the journal and glanced at the page. It had updated. The bar on this quirk's page was significantly smaller. Magic Cost: Four out of ten. That had to be a good sign, that this quirk didn't require much magic to use. Thinking back to his prior witch fight, he frowned. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it probably wouldn't have been that useful. That was probably why the cost was so low, it was a one time use to transform his body into a hulking physique. It probably wasn't completely useless though. The journal was placed back into the large sweater pocket.

"Four out of ten. I don't think it's a constant drain -it doesn't feel like that, more like a burst of usage to get into this hulk mode."

Kazane glanced around the empty courtyard. A bird sang. Dust floated down from the sky, illuminated by reflected sunlight. Her eyes came upon a large chunk of concrete debris. Pointing to it, she said.

"There! Lift that piece of concrete for me, 'kay?"

It was done easily. Deku gripped under the debris, grip almost crumbling the material as he lifted it up in front of him. A surprised gasp came from Kazane. Albeit silently expressing it, Deku felt the same. Super strength would also be useful for certain situations. He'd definitely make use of it. The chunk was dropped to the floor, it shattered with a burst of dust.

She continued her contemplative lecture.

"Since it has a low rating, I'm assuming it drains your magic at a lesser amount. You'd be better using this quirk against a witch that fights up close and personal. Unfortunately... I haven't encountered that many who do so. A lot of witches have a sort of trump-card that can be used at a range. I'm definitely sure it'll be useful if you wish to use it for heroics, most of the quirks you get probably will be. I haven't forgotten about the explosion quirk you mentioned."

Deku's eyes lit up as he grinned.

"I know right? It's so cool! I got it from my frien- no, not my friend, it's complicated. I got it because he hit me with his explosions not too long ago. Anyways, I also have a sludge quirk I haven't used before. I got it during that villain attack on the shopping centre, it was all over the news. Thankfully though, long after I had left."

She jumped on top of another chunk of debris, hanging her legs off the side and swinging them ever-so-slightly.

"Hmm. I wanna see that sludge quirk."

Nodding, he retrieved and flipped the journal's page to the sludge villain's. Deku did not hesitate as he reached into the page, finding what felt like a handle and hauling it back out. It was shaped like a super-soaker and was made from that metallic green substance similarly to his other weapons. Discovering himself what this quirk would provide, his focus was not on Kazane, nor her amused reaction. Staring at his left arm, he watched as he tried to use his quirk, watched as his left arm warped and turned green.

With that familiar sludgy consistency, it morphed and slopped around. He undulated it, trying to get a feel for how it controlled. He spread the green quality to his torso, practicing the same movements. Upon shifting his head, he got a bit more nervous. After doing so, he felt a pang of blood in his eyes. Turning around sharply, he saw his reflection and let out a gargling gasp. His eyes were that same neon yellow, arched up and exaggeratedly menacing. His whole body was now that slimy sludge, save for that gold chain choker around his neck, still sporting his soul gem. Deku hadn't known what would happen to it, but this was a reasonable result. It made sense.

Curious, Deku aimed the super soaker at a nearby window. Pressing down on the trigger, he watched as a glob of sludge spat out. It shot with enough force to crack the window. Another pump later, glass rained down following a shrill shattering. Holding his slimy right hand up, he concentrated on the splattered sludge, willing it to return. Lo and behold, it flew back to his form, rejoining his body. Curiously, Deku sent out a sphere of his own slime, watching as it hovered mid-air. He split it in two, watching the two halves before returning it to his body.

Kazane clapped when Deku returned to his normal, scrawny form. Deku was relieved to be back to himself.

"This seems to be an interesting quirk. It seemingly allows you to dodge some attacks while giving you control over a relatively mundane and harmless material. Since it has no harmful properties on its own, you're better off giving it momentum and using it kinda like a battering ram or as large canon-balls. I don't have a good feeling about your soul gem being exposed while in that form, I'd be careful about it if I were you."

She yawned.

"Check the magic use rating for me, and we'll call it a day."

It was significantly darker than it had been before they started. Magic Use: Seven out of ten. Similar to the explosion quirk. He guessed it to be fair. Deku wouldn't complain, who would he complain to anyway? Kyubey? No, Kyubey had gifted him with this ability in the first place.

"Seven out of ten."

"Sounds about right. That's reasonable."

Deku frowned. "We didn't get much done today, we just showed each other our abilities and stuff. There's probably a lot more to learn, right?"

Her laugh was soft, but not mocking.

"Haha, don't worry Deku. We'll get there eventually. It's important that you showed me this stuff because it'll help me come up with effective witch-killing methods. You're right that there's a lot more to learn. We haven't even covered shields, healing, or signature masking yet. Give it time though. Check the brightness of your soul gem too, please."

It was a good reminder, he wouldn't have done so otherwise. Willing his transformation away in a flash of green light, he observed the brilliance of his soul gem. It still shined green but was noticeably dull. Kazane's gaze analyzed.

"It'll last long enough to fight a familiar. You have another use of your soul gem for after. We'll take down one and during the fight, I'll show you a bit about healing and defensive magic usage, alright? I'll be available tomorrow night, like always. Let's head back now, okay?"

They walked home together. Deku took note of her seemingly empty apartment. There were no cars in her driveway.

* * *

He laid in bed that night, unable to sleep. Everything was happening so fast. It was less than a week ago that he was a quirkless pathetic boy. It was less than a week ago that Bakugou had told him to commit suicide. Deku had already been a magical boy for four days. There were three quirks copied in his journal. He already had an ally. Things were looking up.

But still, he couldn't sleep. He worried about getting into U.A. Would they know? Would they take one look at his costume and laugh him off property? His sleep was restless and dreams tormented by a familiar hot-headed blonde boy. "Give it back! You're not Deku!" He shouted. In the grand scope of things, U.A entrance exams were just around the corner.


	4. Summer

**Musutafu Suburbs:** Four Days Later

Kazane and Deku ran down the familiar's labyrinth. A disembodied black hand flew towards them. Calmly, she held out her hand before raising a yellow shield in front of them. It seemed to be on fire almost, patterned with solar flares and twinkling feathers. The black hand hit the wall with a thunk, and Kazane grunted in concentration. It fell lifeless to the floor. The yellow wall shimmered away in a burst of yellow sparkles.

"Focus your energy on making a wall like that. See that wave of familiars? Bring it up before they get here. I'll have a backup plan just in case, but you can do it."

Her smile was reassuring, it gave him the confidence to spread his green energy outwards. As the black hands rocketed down towards them, the green shield began to take shape. Having the appearance of pine-green paper mache, it shone ethereally. Deku gulped as the wave of familiars neared. One by one, they dive bombed Deku, seemingly unaware of the large barrier blocking their path. The snap and crunch of bone were uncomfortable to hear with each repetitive thunk, but it only caused him a slight displeasure. Every familiar dead, the cage-like labyrinth wobbled away. It was honestly very easy, not requiring his constant attention. He looked back at Kazane. She smiled and said.

"Oh! It seems as if you're very good at making shields, I'm not the best at them as you probably saw."

She looked away from him, a slight blush tinging her cheeks.

"Yours was fine! I'm sure it's just part of our natural talents and all that. I don't have a cool fire or healing ability, so you have that too. I wish I had a crossbow, I have to archaically open my book and equip a quirk before getting a weapon, and that takes just a bit longer than I'd be comfortable with in battle."

His smile was wide- genuine, but he didn't know if it reached her. His doubt and discomfort were relieved upon using the grief seed. With fascination, Deku's eyes trailed the dark cloud that shifted from his soul gem and into that familiar grief seed.

"I guess you're right Deku. I also probably haven't had much experience with creating shields either, I don't use them that often too."

It seemed as if she was talking more towards herself, reassuring her own mind instead of his. He didn't know what she had to prove.

"Why didn't those familiars drop a grief seed?"

They had seemingly defeated the familiars, evident from the destroyed labyrinth. Deku willed away his transformation, planting himself down on the curb. A duck crossed the road, passing into a nearby pond. Kazane remained in costume while she responded.

"Umm- They just don't, they're not a strong as a witch, only a fractured off essence. To get a grief seed you must vanquish an entire witch. Had we left the witch to fester, it would have grown into a witch that would then provide a grief seed. Some magical girls allow this to happen, seeing it as a way to ensure their own supply of seeds."

Deku bit his lip. He blurted out before he could control himself.

"That's terrible! Aren't we supposed to protect people from witches? The idea of letting familiars purposefully grow like some sort of sick farming game makes me sick. Have you met anybody that did that? Does it even work?"

Even while momentary, Deku had noticed that slight flash of darkness on her face. He paused, covering his mouth in his recognition of rudeness.

"Yes, I have. It does work."

He wouldn't press any further. It seemed to be a sore spot for her. Dismissing his concerns, he walked alongside her. The knight costume dispersed in a burst of golden sparkles. Feathers floated down to the floor. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Deku added.

"Thank you for showing me that! I know there's a lot for me to learn, and so I appreciate any of the help you give me."

Kazane smiled at him, it had cheered her up, erasing the impact of that flash of a dark expression.

Kyubey rounded the corner, prancing up to to the two. It waited expectantly. Deku greeted Kyubey with a wide and pleased grin.

"Kyubey! I haven't seen you in a while."

Opening his arms up, Kyubey followed the prompt and hopped up into his arms. Deku nuzzled into its fur, laughing as it purred.

"Greetings, Izuku and Kazane. I take it you have a filled grief seed?"

Nodding, Kazane approached and pet Kyubey. After a thorough petting session, it lept from Deku's arms and onto a nearby rock. The tear-drop magenta shape on its back glowed before opening to reveal a pouch.

"Why yes, Kyubey we do!"

Her words were enthusiastic, as if proud to present Kyubey with the filled and apparently now-dangerous grief seed. Kyubey nodded.

"You know what to do Kazane. Izuku, watch and see what happens!"

Passing the grief seed over to Kazane, he watched with genuine interest as she placed it in the pouch. The flap on Kyubey's back closed up around the grief seed, creating a small flare of light. Kyubey let out a small relieved sound.

"Thank you, Kazane! That felt great."

* * *

He went to her house later that night. She had a nice apartment, hardwood floors and a great view of the city. The apartment was on the twelfth floor, and so looking from the windows caused him a bit too much fear to be comfortable. Seemingly used to guests with this affliction, she noticed his discomfort and closed the curtains. Almost instantly, his fear ceased. If he couldn't see out, he could fool himself into thinking this was somebody's basement.

"Make yourself comfortable, man. Lemme go get us some snacks. Have any preferences?"

Sitting on a dark leather couch, Deku responded with a relaxed sigh.

"Hmm, I'll take a few chips and an iced tea if you have some."

The sound of a crinkling bag and pouring liquid confirmed that she did indeed have some. Bringing out a tray, he noted how ornate it was. It was certainly fine china, grapevines painted along the textured edges. Using it for snack food was a bit much, but he certainly appreciated the hospitality.

"Oh wow, taking out the good china for me? You shouldn't have. Thanks for the snacks, Kazane."

Her laughter filled the room.

"Of course, nothing but the best for my guests."

Deku enjoyed this, although he didn't know what to label it. Was he hanging out with a friend? Yes, that's exactly what this was. It had been so long since he had done so. Normally, he'd just hold himself up in his bedroom after school. This was a pleasant change, one he could get used to.

She reached for the remote, a sharp ping of static as the flat-screen flickered to life. A woman with a coiffed up hairdo sat behind a desk, reading out the daily news. Cheesy visual effects and CG accompanied the camera's shift to an on-the-scene reporter. They stood in front of a suburban street, police tape clearly outlining a squared off area. A crowd of gathered onlookers prevented them from seeing what had occurred. The lady on camera droned on.

"Last night, thirty-two-year-old Hinata Shigoya took part in the murder of his wife before taking his own life. Interrogation has revealed no motive or suspicious activities on Shigoya's end. Seemingly unexplained, we'll be keeping you updated on this case as it unfolds."

Deku fidgeted uncomfortably. It was an awkward station to turn on to. He didn't like the solemn feeling watching the news commonly invoked nowadays. Almost every day there was a new villain doing this and doing that, it was enough that sometimes it overshadowed the heroics segment of the news. In order to distract himself, he took a sip of the sweet tea, savoring the lemony taste.

"That's an ummm... Interesting choice in television channels."

Tiredly laughing, she exhaled through her nostrils. Her explanation accompanied a yawn.

"Very funny, Deku. I just watch it because it can sometimes tip me off to a witch's influence and location. I recognize the street, it's about half an hour walk from here. Luckily, it's in my territory. I'm not sure if it's the witch those hand familiars had broken off from, though."

The explanation unsurprisingly made a lot of sense. He could agree with her way of doing things, it seemed very optimized. Watching the news would indeed offer a hint as to where they should look, instead of spending an hour or two scouring her territory only to find a familiar. The night was mostly uneventful, save for a funny comment from his mother upon returning home. According to her, he had been out just a bit too late and was now becoming a 'bad boy'. It was an entertaining thought. He briefly pondered buying a leather jacket.

* * *

 **Musutafu Suburbs:** Three days later:

The mass of writhing hands lit up in a violent burst of golden flames. Deku shielded his eyes as wind from the explosion ruffled his cape and hood. The rat-shaped mass of hands scurried away, intricately dodging a hallway full of mouse traps. It had been charred black but remained mostly unaffected. Kazane huffed in frustration, her mouth turned down in a grimace. Seemingly to her rescue, Deku aimed his green super soaker ahead of the witch before letting out a few good pumps of slime. Coating the floor in front of it, the witch unsuccessfully attempted to halt its pace by skidding with its claws dug into the floor. Stuck in the slime, the rat thrashed about unsuccessfully. Taking his chance now that the witch was stuck in place, he fired more globs of slime at the rat. Fingers poked out through the thick coating of green sludge it was cloaked with. Controlling the sludge, he willed it to bind and restrain the witch. Kazane huffed out words of support while catching her breath.

"G-good job, Deku!"

While it squealed as a trapped mouse would, he tightened his sludge's grip. The witch simply rearranged its hands instead of buckling under the pressure.

From the vantage point of a caged purse, Kazane jumped and landed between two large mouse traps, besides a gigantic coffee table. She didn't like the agoraphobia-inducing labyrinth, a giant over-sized living room. Every surface seemingly riddled with mouse holes.

Kazane faced away from the witch, kneeling as she shot bolts from her crossbow towards the large bejeweled cats. Their large diamond eyes glared at her, their glint alongside the reflection from their silver coats of fur disturbing her aim. Grunting in frustration, she threw her crossbow to the side before igniting them in a burst of golden fire. Deku cringed at the shrieking cat hisses. Mostly composed of bills and receipts, the cat familiars perished easily.

Digging around his sweater pocket, he produced his journal. Reaching his hand into Bakugou's page, Deku cursed as the green slime instantly vanished. Released and enraged, he barely had enough time to react as the hand-rat hurtled towards him. Gauntlets manifesting slower than he would have liked, he jumped out of the way a tad bit too late. Disconnected pain echoed in his left arm. Three bright red slashes throbbed angrily.

"Shit! Damn, didn't know my powers would do that. Yo, mind telling me how to heal myself now, Kazane?"

Her response was a bit too eager.

"No! I'll heal you instead, it's easier."

A glob of golden fire was sent his way as Deku dodged another swipe of the rat's claw. Instead of burning him, the fire warmed his skin, specifically, his injury. It felt like laying in the sun, and felt great, numbing his pain considerably. Honestly, it felt like what he imagined a drug could do. Glancing to the supposed injury, he saw nothing but pale white skin,

"Thanks, Kazane!"

He nodded towards her as she notched a bolt in her crossbow. It landed straight between the inky-depths that were supposedly the witch's eyes. It still wasn't enough. Annoyed at its resilience, Deku used a well-timed explosion for a rocket-powered punch. Charged with his green energy, he smacked the mass of hands and detonated a larger blast, sending splinters of wood everywhere alongside splatters of a dark meaty substance. The labyrinth wobbled away. Dull stinging echoed throughout Deku's entire body.

"Ah! The splinters!"

Kazane cried out as she rushed over to check on him. Confused, he glanced down at his hand and recoiled at the sight of wood splinters sticking out from his now-bleeding skin. Strangely, the pain didn't send him crying down to his knees. Instead, he stared at the injuries as if only observing the pain. As blood dripped to the suburban streets, he asked.

"Can you teach me how to heal myself now? We're not under the stress of battle now. Sorry, that was a bad time for me to ask that when we were fighting the witch. Distractions would be very bad, so I get why you used your fire instead. I'll probably rely on that too, but it'd be nice to know myself."

It was a reasonable request, Deku thought. Kazane nodded, motioning to his injury.

"Concentrate on your injury and what it felt like before you received it, your magic should take it from there. You might not be able to without strong concentration, given it's not your strong suit."

That was easier said than done. Attempting to do so, he watched as green light washed over his injuries but fizzled out soon after. He gave Kazane a glance, who only motioned for him to continue and try again. A few failed attempts later, Deku eventually managed to expel the splinters and stop the bleeding. Going the extra mile, he blanched the puffy pink scars, returning his skin to a completely unblemished state. Just by looking at it, one wouldn't be able to tell that he had been riddled with splinters mere minutes prior. With a triumphant sound, Deku clenched his fist and raised it into the air.

Both their eyes locked onto the grief seed that clanked against the concrete. The silver spindle was topped with the symbol of a gnawed-on diamond. Kazane snatched it up just as Deku reached for it. Startled, he flinched and jumped backward. Realizing what she had done, Kazane blushed and glanced away. Clinking it against her own soul gem, she handed it over to Deku after the pollution collected in the black gem. He reached for it slowly, unsure of what had caused her spooked reaction and not wanting to cause it again. It was cold to the touch. He pressed it against the green gem at his throat. Suddenly, relief washed over him. He felt leagues better than he had prior. Confidence filled him once more. Deku had to wonder if that was a constant effect, having felt it with every use.

* * *

 **Tatooin Shopping Centre:** Two weeks Later

It was bus route 32, Tatooin shopping centre back to his part of the suburbs. The trip normally took fifteen minutes at most, but today his trip was much shorter. The bus lurched to the side and so did he as they rounded a corner. Deku gripped the cold metal beam to brace himself. An expecting mother sat across from him, she smiled amiably at him. To be polite, he smiled back. His expression froze upon seeing a glance of white from the corner of his eyes. Kazane. She ran down an alleyway, plain-clothed and not transformed. Searching for the red button near his chair, Deku slammed his finger into it repeatedly. Concern pushed him forward and fueled his speed while disembarking from the bus.

They hadn't discussed any training today, this weekend was supposed to be his time off. Deku had just mastered his ability to heal, and while it drained a considerable amount of magic, he was certainly able to heal from it. A chance encounter with a witch had let him practice his self-healing while Kazane fought it head-on. It had been the only one they were able to find for the past two weeks. Kyubey had been sparse, but things had continued on like he expected them too. This wasn't normal, she told him she'd be having an at-home spa day.

Grunting in annoyance, the bus driver glared daggers. Blushing while bowing, Deku scurried off and down the steps.

"Sorry, sir! I apologize for the inconvenience."

His apology was winded, swift. Kazane hadn't seen him disembark, and she had already gone down the alleyway. Deku didn't know if he should sneak up on her to see what was up. He didn't feel like that was right. Instead, he worriedly walked down the dirty brick alleyway. A window clapped open above. Just somebody hanging some laundry. Turning the corner, he came to face Kazane's back. A gunshot echoed through the alleyway. Deku clamped a hand to his ears in pain as he yelped. Turning back to face him, a look of surprise flashed across her face as she jumped just in time for another gunshot sent her way. She was facing a group of two men, each muscular and heavily tattooed. Evidently, from the way they were dressed, they weren't up to any good. His soul gem hummed with discontent, Deku wanted to transform. He held that urge back though, he wasn't completely aware of what was happening. Craning his neck, Deku gagged. A woman had been shot in the temple. Blood pooled around her limp corpse. Kazane shrieked and covered her mouth with a hand.

The stockier ruffian panicked.

"I"m getting the fuck outta here, boss! This wasn't as easy as ya said, now this bitch is dead and her purse ain't even full."

The taller one bellowed.

"You giving up on our club, ya bastard? Shoot the kids too unless you wanna spend the rest of your life behind bars."

Almost simultaneously, they transformed in a flash of mixing green and gold light. Somewhat startled by the occurrence, the stockier man held out his fingers. From the ends of his fingers, the tips hinged down revealing what appeared to be barrels of a gun. This man had a ballistic quirk. Bullets were pelted their way, Deku could feel every bullet pierce his skin and fractured bone. Jumping onto a nearby crate, he hastily threw up a green shield in front of them. Bullets ricochet off the shield and pierced the nearby trash bins. Green magic enveloped his body as it rejected the foreign metal pellets. He could feel every shard of bone mend. The bullets popped out of his skin and landed on the ground in a series of pings. Kazane doused herself in golden flames, similarly healing herself followed by ejected bullets clamoring to the ground. She jumped up above the screen and threw balls of fire down at the remaining thug. The pain of getting shot was unbearable, but it was wrong somehow like his body was only informing him of the pain, and not actually experiencing it.

The ballistic quirk user screamed in agony. A sickening aroma filled Deku's nostrils. Burning flesh. Kazane cried, and so did Deku. He attempted to roll around the ground to extinguish himself, Deku averted his eyes.

"I'll get the others!" He roared while giving chase.

Nodding, Kazane flipped open her phone to dial 9-1-1. She forced herself to turn off her phone before she did actually manage to call the cops. That would have been the wrong choice. There was no way to explain anything that had happened, especially the charred body before her. She was not a vigilante. This woman was dead, and she could explain that.

The woman had called out for anybody's help. Kazane had seen the thugs drag her into the alleyway, but she had been the only one there. Instead of calling for the police, she wanted to help the victim herself. But she couldn't, she hadn't. Bright red soaked the body's pink tank top. Kazane couldn't look in her dead eyes. With shame, she willed away her transformation and stalked out of the alleyway, the direct opposite direction of Deku.

Unaware of Kazane's exit, Deku continued through the alleyway. Jumping over a dumpster that had been overturned by the thugs, it did not slow him down as they intended. The ringleader glanced back at him over his shoulder. He sneered.

"What the fuck kinda quirk is that? Are you some new hero? Fuck off and leave me alone unless you wanna end up like that dead bitch back there."

Gritting his teeth, Deku held himself back from snapping out an insult. That would only be a distraction from what he had to do. Calling upon his book, he acquired the strength enhancement quirk. Growing to about the size of the ringleader, he didn't feel as unfairly matched. Gulping at the sight, the criminal continued his flight. Two left turns later, the criminal began begging. A dead-end mocked the ringleader. Conveniently, the ringleader's face distorted with fear,

"Please! I'll give you our earnings, I didn't expect it to go this way. I didn't want Chubs to actually shoot her. He's such an idiot, god I hate him so much. Kid, look, there-"

"Shut up!" Deku snapped, looming over the villain.

"Okay, yeah, doing that. I'm doing that."

The villain got down on his knees, holding his hands together. Deku wouldn't kill him, of course. He couldn't stomach the thought. Without a heroics license, doing so would make him no better than a vigilante, bordering villain. But this man was evil, definitely so, and would need to be punished by the proper authorities. Cracking the knuckles of his oversized and muscled hands, Deku yanked a metal pole from a nearby fence. Gripping it strongly, he pushed the man to the ground.

Deku barked out an order. It obviously didn't fit him, his voice wavering somewhat from shock. "Hands behind your back!"

Knowing the green-haired boy could easily snap him in two with his hulk-mode, the ringleader complied. Deku grimaced. He was pleased to have his directions followed, he didn't know what he would have done otherwise, didn't know if he would have done anything in retaliation. With a grunt, Deku bent the iron fence pol around the man's wrists, looping it around tightly in order to prevent him from slipping loose. Hopefully, the man didn't have any sort of quirk that would let him escape. Thinking quickly, he dismissed the possibility. The criminal would have used such a power long-before being caught like this.

Sirens roared in the distance. Deku needed to get out of here. He couldn't be implicated in this if he wanted to get into U.A. Pulling his enlarged hood over his face, he willed away his quirk by reaching back into the magical journal. Now back to his normal size, he felt his surroundings for Kazane's signature. He felt nothing. She had either left her transformation or was purposefully hiding her signature. He didn't know which was more likely. Sighing, he rubbed his eye while landing in an adjacent but unconnected alleyway. This one came out on a completely different street, he'd be fine. He worried for Kazane but stopped himself. She was apparently a veteran at this stuff and would likely send him a text later. Although, momentarily, he doubted her. Deku didn't know why Kazane had been at the scene. He wouldn't believe that she was somehow implicated. After a burst of green light, Deku emerged from the alleyway in his summer outfit. Police cars raced past as they turned onto a nearby street. He wondered what tonight's news broadcast would say, wondered if his face would appear, alongside a message urging the public to report his location. That wouldn't happen though, he hadn't seen any security cameras. Plus, if there had been cameras, they would have only seen at worst vigilantism. Deku sighed, feeling somewhat better.

Though, he still trembled with shock. Minutes ago he had still been aboard the bus. Glancing down at the ring on his finger, he frowned at the darkness. He'd have to use the grief seed they got from the other witch they defeated three days ago. It was a laughably easy fight, and so Deku assumed he'd only get one use from it.

* * *

Deku practically stalked back home. He didn't check on Kazane, she could handle herself. Passerbys stayed clear of him, seemingly picking up on his offensive and on-edge aura. Right now, all that Deku wanted was a nice hot bath and to relax in bed with a few mangas. He couldn't deal with this right now, this was supposed to be his vacation from training and magical girl stuff. With a deep huff, he entered his home. walking right past his mother without saying hi, he entered his room. Not right now. Somewhat surprised at her son's frustration, Inko called out to him.

"Are you alright dear?"

He didn't respond, instead entering his bathroom to draw the tub. Running his hand under the stream, he adjusted the temperature and plugged the drain. Sighing to himself, he set out a pair of towels and went back to his room to lock the door. His mother stood in the way.

"Yes." Deku lied.

Quirking an eyebrow, his mother was obviously undeceived.

"You can tell me, Izuku."

Rubbing his brow, he answered.

"Fine. I got into a little fight with my friend."

It was more than relieving to get that out. He wouldn't have classified their encounter as such had he not spoken the words out loud. Sure, they had randomly taken out a group of thugs, but he and Kazane certainly had conflicted at one point. It was mostly non-verbal, her lie about wanting to relax on the weekend along with getting caught up in the situation. On Kazane's end, she had clearly been unimpressed with his presence, but ultimately thankful. This was too much to deal with, he didn't know if he should text her first or wait. Developing healthy relationships was never Deku's strong suit, and so he ignored the problem for now.

Inko, seeing the expression on her son's face lighten, believed him.

"Your girlfriend? It happens, give her some space and you'll be back together in no time. Don't forget to talk about it with her and apologize though, that's always important. I'm here if you need to chat further. Enjoy your bath for now."

Satisfied at doing her job as a mother, she left the room. Deku was glad. Forming his ring into its egg form, he dug around in his pockets to find the grief seed. Hauling it out from his backpack, he admired the thing. It had the symbol of a water droplet. The Hose Witch had been defeated with barely any effort, he almost felt bad defeating the thing. Clinking it against his soul gem, Deku watched the pollution be drawn into the grief seed. The black gem emanated darkness, visibly gaining a wispy aura. It was full, just as he'd expected. Refreshed, Deku decided to take that feeling further. The bathwater was too hot, but he didn't mind.

While half-submerged, he heard his phone vibrate on the counter. He wasn't getting out to answer it, even though his mind screamed at him that it was Kazane. Another text message disrupted his enjoyment once more, mere minutes later. After washing his hair, he decided that he was wrinkly enough. Eyes growing wide, Deku stared down at his phone's notifications. Kazane had texted him not twice, but four times.

Kazane 5:53 PM: Deku! I can explain, I promise. I felt your signature leave before I could explain.

Kazane 5:55 PM: Just come to my house on Sunday, okay? I'm busy with volunteering tomorrow but I'll be free then.

Kazane 6:11 PM: Deku?

Kazane 6:14 PM I'll have cake. Be there or be square! :P

After what they had witnessed, he felt bad about not responding and making her worry. She didn't seem too perturbed though, or at the very least hid it well. She was probably more used to this kind of thing than him. That probably hadn't been her first run-in with death, Kazane was obviously better equipped to handle such a thing.

* * *

 **Musutafu Suburbs: Otsuka Residence,** two days later

Deku sat over a cup of hot tea. The steam warmed his face. They sat in silence.

"Thank you for showing up, Deku. I was worried you wouldn't want to speak with me anymore."

He quirked a brow.

"What exactly, would make me not want to speak with you?"

Using interrogation tactics on his friends didn't make him feel like a good person. He had to know, had to know what Kazane had been up to. He didn't want to associate with anybody involved with or regularly contacting criminals. Could it have been a drug deal gone wrong? Potentially, considering the ringleader had talked about profits.

"I lied about what I was doing. In all honesty, I was trying to do what you do, protect people. I wanted to know what it felt like to be a hero. Also, but to a lesser degree, I was buying ingredients for a cake I planned to make for us. I know it doesn't sound like the truth, but that was honestly all I was up to."

Deku hung onto every word, thinking them over. She didn't seem to be lying, not looking up in the opposite direction or displaying any signs of a nervous tic. It was genuine honesty, in his view. Kazane wanted to be like a hero, he greatly understood that.

"Thanks for being honest with me. I believe you. Though, confronting them may not have been the best course of action. Just saying, but I'm waiting to attend U.A before I get into that kinda stuff. I feel like I'm not educated enough on de-escalation procedures and stuff that could have prevented that result we both saw."

He paused, taking a sip of his tea. While savoring the floral aroma and taste, he hoped to have said the right thing. Words were never his strong suit.

"Yeah, I guess I just heard a cry for help and couldn't stop myself. I couldn't do nothing, y'know? You're right about the tactics, you'll have to teach me about some of that stuff you learn at U.A. You will, won't you?"

Nodding, Deku laughed wholeheartedly. They were fine, they weren't fighting. Things were okay. Reaching for his bookbag, he unzipped it.

"Entrance exams are tomorrow, actually. I've been studying for the past week, and I'm just so nervous. You wouldn't mind helping me review, would you?"

Playfully hitting her hands on the table, she exclaimed.

"Tomorrow!? You better get to it, young man. Although, I managed to pick up the ingredients for a cake if you'd like to bake that with me. Then, while it's in the oven, we can study. I'm sure some of this stuff is useful to know in general, and some of it is just math and language from what I've heard? I hope there aren't any English questions, I'm no good at that."

Smiling, Deku envisioned vanilla cake and full-cream frosting. His mouth watered.

"Sounds like a plan. I've never honestly baked before. Well, besides with my mother anyway. Just for an hour, my studies can wait, there's honestly not that much more I need to cover before tomorrow."

With that, he closed his heroics pre-course textbook. Placing it back on the ornate coffee table, he followed Kazane into the kitchen. The cake turned out fantastic, half of it gone before Deku left that evening.

* * *

 **Witch Data:** Rat Witch

 **Name:** Priscilla

 **Nature:** Flighty

The Rat Witch, with a flighty nature. She runs from the things she cannot have, and is constantly preyed upon by her own desires. The hands that compose her body are forever looking for something to grasp, and have the strength to crush anything that enters them. The Rat Witch is forever prey to Thomas, of which she fears the greatest. By bringing valuables, one can easily coax her from the seemingly endless mouse holes. She preys on those weaker than herself, preferring to consume animals and pets instead of humans, a harder kind of prey.

 **Familiar Data:**

 **Name:** Thomas

 **Duty:** Pest Control

Minions of the Rat Witch. Their duty is pest control. Forever prone to chasing mice, they are unable to recognize their own witch- their commander. Composed of whatever their witch desires the most, they use their ornaments to blind prey before pouncing. Thomas often hunt pests in packs. They have no desire to consume their prey, simply and unknowingly leaving it for the Rat Witch to consume.

 **Name:** Stuart

 **Duty:** Gather

Minions of the Rat Witch. Their duty is to gather valuables. Unable to distinguish friend from luxury goods, they will often find themselves attaching to one-another in an inseparable bond. They yearn for wealth, amassing it within their mouse holes. Still feeling the weightlessness of privilege, they are capable of flight. Should enough Stuart gather together, another Rat Witch will be born.


	5. Examination

**U.A Academy:**

Flower petals danced on the wind, across the white concrete stairway that led up to the examination hall and up into the air. A crowd had gathered under the early-morning sun, relishing the cloudless sky. Tightening the straps on his book bag, Deku tried his best not to feel nervous. The rolling feeling in his stomach would not help him pass the written portion of the entrance exam. The tall glass buildings were paneled symmetrically, he passed through a gate labeled U.A. This was it. The crowd of people around him seemed wonder-struck too, eyes wide and making sounds of amazement. Deku had to admit, it was a lot cooler to see in person than on T.V.

"I made it." He mumbled out loud to himself.

For whatever reason, most likely his astronomically bad luck, Deku's bus had been late. Late enough to warrant him trying to run there instead after twenty minutes of its absence.

He passed the sign detailing the entrance exam and general information surrounding it. Deku had already read the website though, weeks in advance.

Bakugou's grumbling voice made him flinch.

"Out of my way, Deku."

Bakugou stalked towards him, face drawn up in a scowl.

"Kacchan!" Deku muttered out in surprise.

Unsurprisingly, the blonde boy was unamused. He simply brushed past him while threatening.

"Out of my way, or I'll kill you."

Putting his hands in front of him, Deku made panicked motions of resistance. People stared. Stuttering out, he replied.

"G-good m-morning. L-let's d-do our b-best.."

He braced himself for a punch that never came. Bakugou simply walked past him.

"I don't need encouragement from a thief."

Deku frowned. It made him think. Had he really stolen Bakugou's quirk? No, Deku could smell that familiar smoke alongside seeing the faintest wisps of smoke from Bakugou's hands. He definitely hadn't robbed his bully of his quirk. It's not as if Deku had purposefully done so either, but that didn't make him feel any better about being called a thief. Shaking his head, he glanced around the crowd to see just how many people had been watching. Nobody was looking, nobody cared. Instead of gawking at him, he heard two boys whisper.

"Isn't that bakugou, the one who got kidnapped by the slime-quirk villain?"

Deku cringed, freezing with the fear of somehow being found out. There was no way for anybody to have known it was him. Except... Panic coursed through his veins, he trembled. Could Bakugou have ratted him out after he left? Surely it wouldn't have been uncharacteristic, for him to get revenge and take his anger out. Deku wasn't sure though, wasn't sure if Bakugou was as low as snitching on him. He seemed like the kind of bully to view such as weak and wimp-like.

"Oh yeah, I do. Man, he would've been a goner if not for that green bunny hero. What was his name again?"

The other boy rubbed his chin. Sweat ran down Deku's neck. He debated running from the school and never turning back. Deku shook his head. He clenched his fists. He was different after he had contracted, he didn't need to fear stuff like this anymore. Deku wasn't pathetic now. The summer's events of training and fighting witches would hopefully prove that.

Bakugou acted as if he couldn't hear the gossip, but he was obviously in range. Deku was surprised at the level of self-control demonstrated, he had never seen the boy so unprovoked.

"Nah man- They didn't get his name. Can't find nothing online about his identity either. All I could get online was this crappy cell-phone pic of him. His face is obstructed though. Damn phone can't take pictures worth shit, let alone in the shadow of some bunny hood."

A familiarly-styled white hair caught his attention and distracted him from the panic. He stopped eavesdropping.

"Kazane?" He mumbled to himself in surprise.

Momentarily confused by her presence, he dismissed it and smiled widely. Calling out to her a bit more loudly, he shouted.

"Kazane! Over here."

Annoyed faces turned to glare at him. Deku burned with rosy embarrassment. Evidently hearing his voice, she turned over her shoulder to find the source. Once they locked eyes, the white-haired girl sprang towards him. Brashly bumping into people as she made her way over, her apologies and 'excuse-mes' seemed disingenuous.

"Deku! I came to see you and wish you luck. Although, I figured you'd be here a lot earlier. I know it's a big deal for you, and so I made you some cupcakes for after. You'll only get them if you pass though, so better do good!"

She moved her face closer. Deku gulped, unsure. Kazane planted a kiss on his cheek, Deku made a panicked grunt. Backing away somewhat, he objected.

"Kazane! I- I'm not-"

Interrupted by a loud burst of laughter, she mocked him as friends would.

"Bwahaha! That's probably your first kiss from a girl. Don't worry though, you're a bit too young for me. My mother used to always give me good luck pecks, and so you got one too. It's only weird if you make it weird."

Deku scratched his head. He felt somewhat embarrassed to have reacted like that.

"That was my first kiss, Kazane! I wanted it to be all special and stuff, I just feel gross now. I probably caught your cooties, eugh. Thanks for the good luck, though."

Hands on her hips, her glare was evidently unimpressed. The anger was a playful act, Deku hadn't truly earned her scorn.

"Cooties? Don't act like it was that gross, boys line up to kiss me, y'know. Go on, scram! Do good on your exam, okay? WIPE MY LIPSTICK OFF YOUR CHEEK TOO, HAHA!"

"Whatever, and okay, I will! I'll definitely get that mark off my face, for all I know it'll start burning."

Even though Kazane had laughed, he wasn't sure if he had reacted to the situation appropriately. Even though he had powers, Deku still felt completely weak in the fields of socialness and general cues of that nature. Had he somehow inadvertently insulted her? No, she was his friend and they joked like that hundreds of times over the past month or two. Seeing that she had turned to leave, he felt a bit better after the encounter. His nervousness had melted away, it was nice.

By now, every single one of the awaiting students had heard the commotion. Girls giggled and boys chuckled. Absolutely mortified, Deku frantically wiped the red lipstick mark from his cheek. Unsure of if he got it all, he glanced down in the reflection of a nearby fountain. There had been none there in the first place. Rolling his eyes, he turned rapidly enough to catch his foot on a loose brick and fall forwards. Bracing himself, he never hit the ground. Very confused, he blinked his shut eyes open. He was held still, halfway fallen. There was no way he could be standing like this in a gravity-defying manner. Perhaps it was an advantage of being a magical girl?

A girl's voice interrupted his analysis.

"Are you okay?"

She had shoulder-length brown hair. Like himself, her cheeks were still chubby, haven't yet completely shed their baby-fat. He saw her hand on his backpack, and his eyes light up. It was some kind of quirk, it had to be. Kazane hadn't mentioned anything like this being within his realm of passive abilities, and it's not like he had transformed either. Instead, he felt a certain recognition, he could understand that it was a quirk. Deku bit his lip, he knew there'd be an entry on her in his journal. He didn't need to transform to mimic a quirk in his journal. Guilt weighed his stomach, had he invaded her privacy? Flustered, he flailed around mid-air.

Her hand guided him upright. He didn't feel weightless anymore. The girl clapped her hands together, a pink blush stained her cheeks.

"It's my quirk. Sorry for using it without asking first But it'd be bad luck if you fell, right? Aren't you nervous?"

She sounded happy, jolly almost. Deku didn't know how to react, awkwardly fidgeting while trying to think of an answer. A guy stared as he walked by.

"Uhh..." Deku managed to utter out.

"Let's do our best. See ya!"

She dipped her chin under her pink scarf, waving to him as she entered the building.

* * *

 **U.A: Auditorium**

Lights illuminated one by one across the stage. A screen unfurled from the ceiling, showing a blue screen with the school's logo golden and front-center. A man was on stage, hidden by his silhouette until a spotlight illuminated his form. Deku could recognize that hair and outfit anywhere. Present Mic.

"For all you examinee listeners here, welcome to my show today!"

His voice was evidently being amplified by his quirk, loud enough to fill the auditorium without the need for a microphone. The voice was booming in his ears, at a volume just below uncomfortable. That same sense of recognition pulsed in his ring. Deku couldn't stop himself from grinning, he had apparently mimicked the quirk of a strong hero! Teeming with excitement, he forced himself to focus on the presentation. He could test out the voice amplifying quirk later. Growing up, he had even written notes about the guy, knowing his quirk and watching his videos online. Deku was familiar enough with the man and his quirk not to even have to think of strategies and ways to use it. But would Present Mic approve of him mimicking the quirk? Deku's excitement dimmed as the hero continued enthusiastically, Present Mic not even noticing how an audience member could now wield the same quirk.

"Everybody say hey!"

Complete silence filled the room. Deku held back a laugh. He'd definitely be heard.

"What a refined response. Then I'll quickly present to you a rundown on the practical exam!"

Deku's ears perked up, hoping to hear a tidbit that wasn't able to be found online. Practice tests were good help sure, but he didn't know how hard the real thing actually would be. It was easy to say questions were easy when doing them in the comfort of your own home, without the stress of it being the real thing.

Wildly, Present Mic called out.

"Are you ready!? Yeah!"

Silence filled the room. Deku beamed, blushing. He couldn't believe that he was in the room with Present Mic, couldn't believe that he was listening to his speech. Most of all though, he couldn't believe that Present had used his quirk on him. Present Mic was on his morning playlist, he listened to him all the time. For that matter, every teacher at this school was or is a pro-hero. Deku's eyes sparkled, mouth spreading wide in a grin.

Unknowing that he was mumbling out loud, Bakugou's commanding voice surprised him. A girl glanced at him with a worried expression. How much had they heard?

"Shut up."

For his own good, Deku did as instructed. A map appeared on the screen, brightly colored buildings labeled each with a letter. Present Mic's quirk-enhanced voiced boomed out loudly.

"As it says in the entrance requirements, you listeners will be conducting mock urban battles after this alongside a general knowledge assessment! You can bring whatever you want with you. After this presentation, you'll head to the specified battle centre, okay? Afterward, you'll be instructed to the assessment hall during which your performances will be deliberated among the judges. We decided to switch it up this year, we wanna see yer abilities first, so you won't have to write a test for nothing."

Silence. Deku gulped, he was really doing this. The change-up had caught him off guard. What else would be different this year? With the change, did that now mean all of his preparations had been in vain? A droplet of sweat dripped onto his lap.

"Okay?!" Present mic asked.

Bakugou whispered to him.

"In other words, they won't let you work with your friends, huh?"

Deku stuttered out a response, not wanting to infuriate him.

"Y-you're right, even though o-our examinee numbers are consecutive. we're assigned to different battle centres."

Deku held up the card he had been given upon entrance. Battle centre B. He glanced over to Bakugou's. Battle centre A. Relief washed over him, but was soon disrupted by dread as Bakugo threatened him.

"Don't look. I'll kill you. Damn, now I can't crush you and your thieving ass."

He really was thankful for not being paired up in the same group. Maybe he had a shot at doing good, then. Present continued.

"Three different types of faux enemies are stationed in each battle centre. You earn points for each of them based on their level of difficulty. Your goal, dear listeners, is to use your quirks to earn points by immobilizing the faux villains. Of course, attacking other examinees or other unheroic actions are prohibited!"

Deku gripped the table. This was the part he had been fearing long before contracting with Kyubey. Knuckles white, he released his grip. While not having quirks, he could definitely mimic having one. This was perfect. It was finally his time to shine. Bakugou sneered over at him. Maybe not.

A different voice filled the auditorium.

"May I ask a question?" It asked.

Present Mic pointed at the man.

"Okay!"

A spotlight centered on the voice, illuminating him from the dark. It appeared to be a well-dressed man, hair primly-kept and cut elegantly. He held a flyer of some sorts, Deku could make out for shadowy shapes.

"On the printout, there are four types of villains. If that is a misprint, then U.A is the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of that foolish mistake. We examinees are here in this place because we wish to be modeled into exemplary heroes."

Deku cringed. It was one of those types. He wondered if Present Mic would respond sarcastically or not. Definitely not, such was out of character for him and Deku knew that.

The pretentious boy pointed to him. Deku flinched and yelped.

"In addition, you over there with the curly hair-"

Deku pointed to himself, unsure if he had been addressed.

"You've been muttering the whole time. It's distracting. If you're here on a pleasure trip, then you should leave immediately."

For some reason, it stung harsher than Bakugou had today. Deku didn't even know the man, and still, he assumed Deku to be aloof and pathetic too. The boy was evidently looking down on him, that seemed to fit with his pretentious nature. Deku gritted his teeth, holding back a retort. Kazane had taught him not to get walked all over by people, and he had failed every time he was harassed by Bakugou. Now it was true towards other people too. Shameful, he blushed and scratched at his hair. Real heroes were perfectly capable of defending themselves.

The asshole's glasses glinted in his eye. People in the audience laughed. Deku clamped a hand over his mouth from saying anything rashly. He wouldn't mutter anymore.

Reigning the audience back in, Present Mic continued.

"Okay, okay, Examinee number 7111. Thanks for the great message."

He gave a thumbs up.

"The fourth type of villain is worth zero points. That guy's an obstacle, so to speak."

A large silhouette appeared on the screen, to which Present Mic was pointing.

"There's one in every battle centre. An obstacle that will go crazy in narrow spaces. It's not impossible to defeat, but there's no reason to defeat it, either. I recommend that you listeners try to avoid it."

The spotlight still shined on the pretentious guy.

"Thank you very much! Please excuse the interruption" He said while bowing before sitting down. The light on him dimmed out.

The combination of rudeness and politeness made Deku's stomach twist. The guy was judging him for sure, so was everybody here. Suddenly, Deku felt out of place. He didn't even have a quirk.

"That's all from me!" The blonde hero concluded with a hand-gesture.

"Finally, I'll give you listeners a present- our school motto. The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said: A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes. Go beyond. Plus ultra!"

The words erupted onto the screen with a harsh guitar riff. Deku soon found himself swept up in a wave of whimsy, easily forgetting his previous conflict.

"Now everyone, good luck suffering!"

* * *

 **U.A: Battle Centre B**

His group stood in front of a ridiculously over-sized set of brown doors. The bus ride had been mostly uneventful, save for a few comments sent his way about his muttering or scene in front of the school. Shaking with anticipation, he ran over strategies in his mind. This was his time to use his gift as a magical girl, this was his time to shine. He would be the hero he always wanted to be.

Slapping himself in the face, his full-body jittering and goofy expression faded. He needed to focus.

People were equipping their items and adjusting their armor. Thankfully, he'd have weapons to use too. Scanning the crowd, he saw that girl who had prevented him from falling with her quirk. Walking over to her, a hard hand clamped on his shoulder. Flinching, he turned around shakily to see that jerk from the auditorium. His expression morphed into a mix of fear and a scowl. Even though he tried his best to scowl, his fear shined through.

"That girl appears to be trying to focus." He said.

Deku's scowl deepened. He did not like the latent meaning of his words. The guy was trying to tell Deku that he was just a distraction and wasn't worth her time. He ground his teeth. Remembering Kazane's words, Deku gritted out. He was unsure of responding defensively was right or rude. It didn't matter, because it made him feel better/

"You need to leave me alone. I don't have to listen to people like you anymore. I just don't."

Seemingly ignoring what Deku said, the man continued here.

"What are you doing here? Are you taking the entrance exam to interfere with everyone else?"

Rage bubbled in his stomach. This guy was too much like Bakugou. Deku's expression fell. All he wanted was to be a hero, and he wouldn't have ever guessed people like this aspired to be them too.

"I'm here to be a hero. I care about people and are genuinely polite. She helped me up when I fell so it's the appropriate thing to thank her. Leave. Me. Alone."

Overcome with anger, Deku pushed the glasses-wearing man away. Fellow examinees mumbled about him.

"That guy's the one who was about to trip in front of the school gates, right?"

"The one who flinched upon being called out?" Another added.

Almost in unison, the group said.

"At the very least, we have one less rival to worry about. Lucky..."

Deku stared down at the floor. Nobody respected him. He absolutely needed to do good on this exam. People would have to take him seriously then, they'd have to disregard his social awkwardness and treat him like a real person. That's all he really wanted.

A booming voice startled the magical boy, unsurprisingly causing him to flinch.

"Alright, start!" Present Mic boomed.

He was bounding away from the group as soon as those words left the tower. Nobody followed momentarily, prompting another announcement.

"What's wrong? There's no countdowns in real life. Go ahead, the exam starts now!"

Smiling to himself, he glanced behind him to see his lead. Though, it was quickly covered by that glasses jerk. The guy had some sort of panel on the back of his legs, it reminded Deku of a certain hero, but the specifics eluded him. A crowd stampeded down the street, and he needed to get out of the way, fast. He couldn't transform in plain sight of everyone, that wouldn't do. Ducking into a nearby building, green light washed over him as he transformed in private. Equipping his super-soaker, he ignored the new pages that were now present in his book. He didn't know how to use them yet and so wouldn't risk it now. Emerging from the opposite side of the building, he came to face an empty street. The sounds of battle echoed out into the fake city. This was his moment. It had all led up to this.

Super-soaker in hand, Deku ran down the street. A loud crashing caught his attention before a robot burst through a nearby building. Jumping back in fear, Deku shot a magically-imbued glob of sludge. The machine had been dented significantly. Testing a theory, he willed the slime to soak into the machine. Sparks of electricity shot out as it short-circuited. twitching and falling to the ground. One down.

Bounding away, Deku ran down an opposite street. Seeing two more robots coming his way, he shot sludge from his soaker. Give that it would ruin the circuitry, he didn't bother wasting magic to reinforce it. As expected, the machines dented and cracked from the impact before twitching to the ground. As they fell, he faced a crowd of confused examinees. The glasses guy was with them, his stare judgmental.

"You changed in the middle of battle? Vanity is irresponsible and unforgivable when placed ahead of fighting villains. The costume does not seem tactically advantageous, you wasted your time."

Deku drew up his hood, dashing away from them with his green-imbued double jumps. Some of the students in the crowd made sounds of amazement. The jerk made a 'tch' sound before running away in the opposite direction. From his high vantage point in the air, he aimed his soaker at three robots he could see milling about the streets. They short-circuited, thumping as they fell. Deku made a sound of delight, he was really doing this.

Now falling back down to the ground, he braced his knees as he touched down. A slight crater was formed in the asphalt. He turned in the direction of a robot. A quick glob of slime was enough to take it down. Bakugou stood on the other side of it, fist smoking and ready to explode.

"Fucking Deku! Stealing my kills too, eh? Out of my way! Dumbass costume, that sludge shit smells rank. Get away from me."

The magical boy took over before Bakugou could even finish his sentence. There was no point in listening to him ramble on with rage, it was a waste of his time, this exam was time-limited. With a green dash, he raced past a spiky-haired redhead that was currently targeting the same robot. Not wanting to cause conflict, he didn't respond to the grunt of anger. Having a ranged weapon gave Deku the advantage. Lining up a perfect shot, he fired sludge and willed it to seep into the robot's circuity. Fizzling out, the robot fell. Seven down. This was easier than fighting a witch. Running forwards, he came out onto a large courtyard. Dozens of students were in the process of fighting robots, this was a hot-zone for sure. Some glanced up to look at him, some chuckled at what they saw. Deku withdrew into his hood, elegantly aiming and firing at five robots consecutively. Falling in unison, the students who had been targeting them glared in rage. With a green jump past them, he landed in front of that glasses jerk. Again, the guy made a displeased sound as he fired up his quirk and used the panel on his back to dash towards the oncoming wave of four robots.

Not wanting the jerk to get the kills, Deku formed a glob of sludge in his hand. In a whip-like fashion, he sent it out towards the robots, shifting it around the asshole so that he wouldn't get hit. Instead, the rapidly moving whip crushed the robots and send them crashing together. All fizzling out, Deku couldn't help but laugh at the jerk's sound of surprise. Trying not to let the smugness overtake him, he focused on finding more robots. It was that nice girl, she was running through the fields of robots and taping them while weaving around. Reaching the edge of the courtyard, she let them float into the air before clapping her hands together.

"Release!" She shouted as they fell to the pavement, crushed under their own weight.

That glasses-wearing jerk emerged in the courtyard too, his panel combusting to provide him with a super-charged kick. The machine at his foot crumpled easily. Not everybody was having as easy of a time though, he could spot some poor boy barely denting the machine with his fists. Bakugou pushed the examinee out of the way, destroying the robot with ease. Deku locked eyes with him, and he couldn't help but flinch at those cruel red eyes.

Shaking himself from his stupor, he focused on the battle at hand. He couldn't waste time. Firing four more shots of goop, four robots fizzled out. As a piece of debris was sent his way, Deku's body turned to sludge as the rubble passed through his abdomen. He would never get used to the feeling of shifting into sludge. The glasses-wearing jerk gazed disapprovingly, analyzing him at the same time. It gave Deku an uncomfortable shiver. What was that stuck-up bully thinking?

* * *

Up above in a nearby watchtower, the judges took in the battle. The green-haired boy had been a surprise, his quirk seemingly had great potential. Before the battle had begun, they had all expressed their general predictions towards how it would end. Examinee 7705, Izuku Midoriya, had been in none of their predictions. He was gaining points fast, name climbing up and almost reaching the top.

"That power is familiar, the slime one," All-might said.

They agreed, Cementoss chiming in.

"That was the one used in the shopping mall attack, right?"

Another hero disagreed.

"No, it's different. That one did not allow for that green aura effect. Think it has something to do with his outfit change, or was he naive enough to change into his hero-suit mid-combat?"

All-might responded.

"It is eerily close, is all I'm saying. You think it could be just a relative with a mixed quirk? He also seems to be showing signs of physical enhancement."

They argued, but couldn't come to a conclusion. The only thing they agreed upon was that they could now seriously consider Izuku Midoriya as a contestant.

"This year's group looks promising, right?"

A voice disagreed.

"Their true test is still to come."

The red button was pushed, and the secret robot was released.

* * *

Double jumping away, he caught sight of the large menacing robot's shadow. Dread filled Deku's stomach, disrupting his focus and sending him hurtling down towards the pavement. Landing with his fist in the ground, he looked at the towering figure and shuddered. This was the machine that was worth zero points. Examinees fled, the glasses jerk stared in horror. It was chaos. Deku did not run, he watched in fear as everybody ran past. His soul resonated with danger. The glasses jerk passed him by, a wondrous look worn on his face. Clouds of dust-cloaked the courtyard and disrupted his vision.

Green energy whipped around the square as the wind it kicked up cleared the air. Getting a better look at the towering monstrosity did not reassure him of his safety.

"Less than two minutes left!" Present Mic announced from somewhere above.

A pained cry caught his attention. It was that girl who helped him from tripping. Her leg was pinned by a large piece of rubble.

"Ow!" She yelped, frantically trying but failing to free her leg.

Her arm shook as it tried to hold herself up. The robot barreled towards her. Deku gazed at her helpless stare in dismay. His face was hollow with dread. She'd be dead for sure. That girl's eyes plead like Bakugou's, both pleading for help. Her kind words resonated in his mind.

"It'd be bad luck if you fell, right?"

In a crowd full of people who had disregarded him as a person, she had been the one to stop him from falling.

His legs carried him before he could think of an action. His super soaker was thrown to the ground. Green energy whipped in stripes around his body, stirring up strong gusts that shattered windows. Throwing up his two hands, waves of glowing green sludge poured towards it. Without having to think, the sludge formed an almost-cobweb in front of the robot. But he knew it wouldn't be enough. The robot groaned and mechanically moaned as it struggled to pass through the sudden obstacle. Endless sludge continued to pour from his hands to reinforce it but suddenly stopped. There were no openings for him to disable the circuitry remotely. This was not the right idea. Shuffling his hands in his pocket, he attempted to equip a different quirk discreetly. Counting the pages as he flipped through them in his sweater pocket, he probably looked pretty stupid. He didn't care though, and moments later came to the right page. Deku knew that the sludge would vanish upon doing so, but right now he needed pure force.

As soon as the sludge and super soaker vanished, Deku's form grew large and massive. Faster than he knew switching quirks could be. Muscles rippling with anticipation, he magically reinforced them as the released robot gathered its bearings. Glowing green stripes ran through his muscles, signifying that he was ready to strike. With a green double jump, he barreled towards the titanic automaton. His cape flapped wildly in the wind, hood long-since having flowed back from his face. Yelling out in concentration, he let his magic flow through him. It was coating him like an aura, flashing around and lashing out at the nearby buildings. His right fist was outstretched and was the location at which his magic gathered. This amount wasn't even required to kill a witch, but this was different. His body was on autopilot. This was what he had to do.

The trapped girl gasped, and the judges gazed in anticipation. This is what they wanted to see.

A gigantic robotic hand slammed down towards him, but with a green flash, he easily dodged it and continued on his rocketing way up to its head.

His wish echoed in his mind.

 _"I just want to b-be a superhero!"_

And he was doing it.

"SMAAAAAASH!" He yelled out upon impact.

His fist instantly crumpled the robot's head as a green shockwave shook the battle centre. The spectators watched in awe but braced against the wild winds kicked up by his punch. Staggering back, the robot attempted to grab onto a nearby building but failed miserably.

All might smiled. Bakugou gaped. The trapped girl stared wide-eyed. Everybody grew silent.

"One minute left!" Present Mic called out.

The robot crashed into the ground. The magical boy began falling to the ground. Still coated in green energy, it trailed behind him like a comet as he plummeted. He wanted this to be graceful, like a real hero would. Turning himself upright, he smiled at his spectators. He debated opening his book and reading a few pages to give an air of nonchalance, but that would've definitely been too much. Too cocky. Instead, he landed on the pavement with a polite bow, pointedly ignoring the destruction his punch had caused alongside the crater he walked out from upon landing. Giggling somewhat with glee, he willed away the strength-enhancement quirk. Returning to his non-bulky form, he let everything that had occurred actually register. It hit him like a brick. His soul gem cried out from overuse. He definitely needed to use a grief seed. People stared, and he was unsure if that as good. Now aware of how much attention he had exactly garnered, Deku withdrew into his hood.

That girl he had saved was hanging over a piece of rubble, no longer trapped. Her face was green with nausea. Deku looked away as she vomited onto the pavement. At least she was safe, even if stomach-sick. He needed to focus. He had sacrificed around three minutes of point-gathering to help that girl. He knew it was worth it, but he was now definitely not the top-earner. Stress rattled his body. Had he just given up his chances at getting into U.A? Bakugou probably had ten times his points now, let-alone that jerkwad with the glasses. But those were only two people, and he had surely done better than most of the people who had just stood by and watched. Tightening the drawstrings of his hood, the physical exertion hit him. Legs wobbling, he struggled to stay standing. He couldn't fall, people were watching him intently, waiting for something to happen. What Deku needed to do was find more robots, he needed more points.

"Time's up!" Present Mic called out.

A loud siren soon followed, the round was over.

Deku shook with uncertainty. Had he exposed his powers? Would he be taken away now? Instead of facing the crowd that had gathered, he ran from them, ran as fast as his wobbling legs could take him. Ducking into a nearby building, he dissipated his transformation In the privacy of some mock office. The crowd was too shocked to follow him. They didn't see him using the last charge of a grief seed he had promised to save for Kazane. But, he didn't worry, she'd understand why he used it. His soul gem was noticeably dull now, small wisps of black floating throughout. As the black cloud was drawn over to the black gem, the pine-green brilliance returned, and so did his chipper mood. Absolute ecstasy washed over him, he had done it! Even though he had likely not scored the most points, people had definitely seen his show of valor. They'd have to respect him now, treat him like a real person. It had been jarring how little of a change his contract had affected people's disposition towards him. He couldn't fault them though, he did certainly give off a pathetic air with his fearful demeanor and jumpy attitude. That same shyness had returned, prompting him to duck out of the back instead of facing the crowd. He could deal with explaining and owning up to his 'quirk' later.

Deku couldn't wait to tell Kazane.

* * *

People in the crowd murmured.

"What was that guy?"

Another added.

"He just suddenly jumped at the obstacle..."

Puzzled whispers followed.

"He seemed to have some sort of energy manipulation quirk, but also a slime quirk? I've heard of two quirks being inherited, but I thought it was really rare. His muscle reinforcement reminded me of a hero I saw before, what was his name again?"

Another spectator supplied.

"Oh- Death Arms, but Death Arms can't just go into hulk-mode like that, so maybe it had something to do with that energy."

A girl questioned.

"If he had a quirk like that, what kinda life would make him so jumpy?"

* * *

Kyubey sat on the rooftop of a fake building. Its fur swished in the wind. Empty magenta eyes took in the scene. Things were progressing quicker than it had anticipated.

* * *

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of my readers! It means a lot to me that you guys are enjoying my writing. I have readers from all around the world and that just makes me really happy. I read every comment I get and will usually respond. Just yesterday I had a wonderful reader and artist draw me some artwork. lloviznah is their name and they drew me a phenomenal sketch of Deku transformed in his outfit, almost exactly what I envisioned while writing it out. Please take a moment to stare at the photo for a bit too long like I have! Her name is the same on Instagram.


	6. Jude

**Musutafu Suburbs:** Four days later

Life had been calmer after the fact. He took a few days off for himself. Laying in bed, he let the ceiling fan cool himself down. It had been a staunchly humid day, one where the temperature did not yield or offer mercy when faced with the humidex. There was just nothing to do. He had texted Kazane, but she had been busy with something. He was worried, somewhat anyway. Deku still wasn't sure if he trusted her. The more he thought about it, the more he doubted her response to his prior question. Why had she been out around those people, and why hadn't she told him? Deku flipped a page in his manga. He couldn't force it out of her. When he brought it up to his mother, she had only laughed somewhat before prattling off about hormones this and hormones that. Even though his prior message didn't get a result, he decided to send another.

Izuku 12:43 PM: My entrance exam results should be sent by mail to me sometime soon. Mind if I swing by your place afterward? I'll either need emotional support or a celebration.

The response wasn't instant. Deku had to wait.

Kazane 12:58 PM: Come if you want. It doesn't matter.

Deku rolled his eyes. He didn't want to deal with that today. Today was the day in which hopefully his dream would come true. His acceptance would come by mail. Deku checked his all-might wall clock. About an hour or just under that. Rubbing his eyes, sleep still hung from his eyelids. Staying up late had been a mistake, but he didn't try to honestly sleep early when thoughts of U.A fueled his anxiousness. Instead, he had browsed online hero boards. Not much activity, although there had been a few rumblings over the U.A entrance exams. A few people had mentioned his name, but nothing specific. Most of the commentators had not been surprised by the results, although he and a few others had obviously been outliers. Deku wondered why this information was available. He chalked it up to information leaks or something of the sort.

For the most part, he knew that his anxiety was misplaced. Self-evaluation told him that he had definitely scored a large sum of points. If he recalled correctly, over thirty. That was probably enough to get on the leaderboards, Deku didn't remember seeing many other students taking out that many robots. He wondered briefly though if he would've scored more points if not for that girl. Even though he didn't like to think about it, knew that he shouldn't as a hero, the thought still bothered him. Deku didn't want to hate the girl if his U.A rejection letter had been decided by one or two points. It was undoubtedly worth it though, unpreventable too. There could have been no denying the way his legs acted before his mind, how his magic reacted as if passively. He needed to save that girl. Kyubey hadn't been around recently, and neither had any witches. Deku was thankful for that, he really needed a few days of recovery after that examination.

Pacing his room, he debated waiting outside for the mail truck. That would be weird, just sitting outside waiting. Deku didn't want to seem like a people-watcher, he wasn't that kind of person. Instead, his excess energy brought him downstairs and talking to his mother. From the smell wafting up from the kitchen, she had cooked them sashimi for lunch. His mouth salivated. That hint of sauce was carried with the scent of cooking alerted him that it would be really damn good.

"Izuku dear, supper!"

Inko didn't have to call him down twice.

He knew what kind of meal it was. It had a similar meaning between the two as their hot chocolate. It was a comfort meal. Inko wanted her son to be comfortable and happy regardless of the outcome.

"Mmm smells great. Thanks for making it!"

Before sitting, he hugged his mother. Still wearing an apron, he couldn't help but notice the fish odour. Knowing that he had done so, she released herself from his hold and laughed. Untying it from her neck, she placed a few dishes in the sink. Taking a seat in her normal spot, she motioned for him to sit next to her.

"No problem. I just want to let you know that I'm so proud of you and happy that it doesn't matter to me if you get in or not. There are plenty of other schools that'd be so lucky to have you. If you get rejected, don't take it as an end, take it as an opportunity to see what else is out there and to broaden your horizons. You wouldn't want to make a hasty choice and regret it in hindsight when there's nothing else you can do about it."

Deku pushed his rice around with a chopstick awkwardly.

"Are you talking from experience, or?"

He waited for her to answer, taking a bite of the excellently cooked lunch.

"Yes, specifically about my profession. I don't think it was the right choice for me, but there's no use dwelling on the past. It'll only make me sad. Something I've learned in life is that no matter what happens, I have to keep moving forward and to never doubt my decisions once I make them. It'll only slow me down. We're happy enough now, aren't we? I could think and think about what my life would have been like if I listened to my muse, but then I probably wouldn't have you, now would I?"

Inko got like this sometimes. Whenever she knew something big was about to happen in his life, she'd give off a huge speech over maturity or some related topic. The last one had been about the birds and the bees. Apparently, she had given it to him too late, considering he had already started 'dating' Kazane. In his eyes though, that speech could have never been late enough. He shivered.

"That's good advice. I- I know I've wanted to get into U.A even after being quirkless. I can't help but feel as if I wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't get in despite actually having a quirk. That mailman can't come soon enough. I'm about to die from anticipation."

She took a sip of lemon water.

Deku tapped the table.

"Have you seen the news? It's not every day a plane crashes. I can't help but imagine what it would be like, falling from the sky. They had audio recordings published online, I couldn't stomach to watch them, especially after finding out there were no survivors."

It wasn't a great conversation starter. He didn't know what to respond. At most, he'd just look it up later on his laptop. These things didn't hold his interest though, they were a bit too macabre for his interests.

"That's sad. Stuff like that always makes me hesitant about getting on a plane. Oh well."

She took another sip of water.

"The last bit of advice I'll give to you today is to branch out. You're not just a hero, you can be so much more than that too. Not in a bad way of course, but when you eventually retire from it as most people do, you'll need something to keep you occupied. Try to join a club or something at whatever school you get into, something you're genuinely interested in. It'll look great on a resume."

Deku would have responded, but his mother added somewhat quickly.

"Don't ever lose yourself, Izuku. You're kind, caring, sympathetic, genuine. Don't ever change even if the world makes you feel like you should. Just because you have a quirk now doesn't mean you're a different person. I'm kinda worried- now I know that it's silly- that the quirk will go to your head."

He didn't know how to feel about that. Part of him wanted to crack a joke, but the other wanted to take it seriously. Honestly, another part of him wanted to be offended too. It was truthfully a good piece of seemingly-sound advice. His mother was almost definitely talking from experience, from the pained expressions on her face to the way moisture gathered in the corner of her eyes. Though, he knew that it likely wasn't exactly the same circumstances.

Deku loved his mother for that, loved how she always compelled him to be the best person even at his lowest of times, or highest too. He could understand why she'd worry about the quirk going to his head as well, Bakugou's personality shift playing back in his mind. It had been jarring how quick a quirk had come between two childhood friends.

Just before Izuku could finish his plate, a familiar truck engine rattled the streets. The mail truck had stopped at his house. Running to his front door, the glass window was barely big enough for him to see clearly. Frosted sections obscured completely while glass-work distorted the image. Regardless, he could get a picture of what was happening. A uniformed man stepped out and placed a few things in their mailboxes. The worker was gone astonishingly fast. Mail services were more efficient than he thought they'd be. Almost catching the exhaust as it dissipated into the air, he hastily opened the mailbox. Hands shaking, it was a bit slower than he would have liked. Taking a deep breath, he stuck one tongue out from the corner of his mouth and undid the latches and pins that prevented it from being broken into by animals or blown open by wind.

The other packages were easy to ignore. Deku took the thick cream-colored envelope in hand. Fancied up with swirls of handwriting and elegant borders, it was pretty to look at. Carefully, he undid the red wax seal stamped with U.A's logo. Sure, the wax seal was a bit archaic but it definitely was charming. Charming enough that he'd want to keep both the envelope and letter as a keepsake regardless of what was actually written in the letter.

A stir of movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Inko stood with the curtain pushed to its side, watching her son with a warm smile.

Glancing down back at the letter's header, he read.

 _Dear, Izuki Midoriya._

 _We would like to thank you for taking the time to complete both our practical exam alongside the lengthily written portion. Through our practical exam, you have shown yourself not only to have a strong understanding of tactical strategy but control over your quirk as well. Not only did you score in the top five, but you also managed to discover a somewhat hidden aspect to the exam. While most heroes would have focused on solely scoring points, you did what a hero does. You saved somebody. For that, alongside the dedication, you evidently posses to have reached that level of quirk control, U.A Academy will be accepting you into class 1-A. Class will begin this Monday. Transportation and supplies are fully covered and paid for. We look forward to seeing what you will bring our school_

 _Signed and approved, All Might & Headmaster Nezu._

Deku's hands shook. This tremble reached his body, now humming with glee. He had done it, he had entered U.A. All Might had signed the letter too, things couldn't get any better. Sounds of glass thumping brought his attention to his ecstatic mother. While not able to hear her muffled cries, he could tell that her slapping on the windows was from excitement and joy. Deku had never doubted her ability to read expressions. At the moment, his was likely as easy to read as a blinking neon sign. The door burst open. As he had been so many times as a child, he was brought up in a bear hug. Barely managing to lift him, she let out a delighted huff.

"Izuku! I'm so happy for you, I'm so happy that you can do exactly what you've wanted for all these years. You don't understand how proud of I am. Mark my words, you'll go far. Never doubt that. You'll make an impact."

Nodding frantically, he buried his head in her shirt. Deku didn't want his nosy neighbors to see him crying tears of joy. Heroes didn't cry, but yet, he wept. Seeing the wet spot he had left on her shirt, he sniffled.

"Mom. I just- I just never thought something like this could happen. It's all happening so fast. First I discovered my quirk, and now I got into U.A. I just- love you so much for always encouraging me and pushing me forward. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that. I love you."

She patted his back. Wiping a lone tear from her eye, she laughed with joy. Deku beamed, retrieving his phone from his pocket.

Deku darted around the yard, searching for something he soon found hanging from a post. His bicycle helmet. It reflected the sunlight shining down hard from above. Its shell had a wax coating, giving it that reflective quality. Unchaining his bike from the fence, he added quickly.

"I gotta tell Kazane, she told me to meet with her afterward and reveal the news. I can't keep her waiting. Bye!"

He knew he was speaking too fast, but he honestly didn't care right now.

"Wait, dear. Before you go, hand me the letter for safekeeping."

Deku paused, face-palming.

"Oh yeah, duh. Of course, here."

She took it gingerly seemingly afraid it'd turn to dust with the slightest amount of pressure. It didn't. Especially after being placed back in the thick envelope. Thanking her, Deku hopped back onto his bike. The bike itself wasn't top-quality by any means, but his pure ecstasy at having been accepted into the school was enough to drive him forward. It was enough to prevent him from developing that burning soreness or weird disrupted breathing. Deku had magic to thank for that too, the whole magical boy thing definitely playing a part in his lack of exertion.

"Bye, Izuku! Have fun, but not too much now!"

* * *

 **Musutafu Suburbs:**

His bike ride to her apartment complex had been swift. Swift with the excitement of his acceptance, he found himself at the glass doors in no time. He had to pay a few coins to lock his bike, but his wallet had change to spare. On his first visit here he had noticed the peculiar system and had taken a mental note for future reference. It came in handy. The elevator's up button flashed as he pressed it multiple times. He knew that doing so wouldn't make it come faster, but it helped relieve his excitement. Moments of waiting inspired him to take the stairs.

Knocking, Deku tapped his foot. No response. He glanced down at his phone and sent a quick text.

Izuku 1:25 PM: I'm here at your door.

No response.

The longer he waited in the hallway's silence, the more his nervousness grew. Maybe she wasn't even home, or perhaps her phone died and she didn't hear the first knock. He reached out to jiggle the knob and hopefully gain her attention, but he withdrew it quickly as it gave way and opened. Not what he expected. His soul gem thrummed in warning. The shoe rack near the door was astray, knocked over and its contents scattered across the carpet. Swiftly, he sprang into action and searched the premises. Kazane's living room was an equally devastated area. The glass coffee table had shattered, leaving only its metal skeleton standing. Liquid dripped from a splash on the wall, around which shards of glass were embedded. Pale with fear, he crept around the corner and gasped.

Kazane. Hunched over and laying against the floor cabinets, she groaned upon seeing his face. Hesitantly, he waved. A cord swung over the countertop, landline phone dangling like a pendulum.

"W-What happened? D-did someone break in? I'll help-"

He reached out to her, but she swatted his hand away.

"You've done enough. No thank you."

Deku flinched, stepping back. Had somebody done something to her? Reaching back into his pocket, he held out his phone.

"I'm going to call your parents and tell them they need help."

Kazane glared at him.

"You CAN"T call them NOW. Who d'ya think WAS ON THAT PLANE?"

He froze. Mind whirring at miles per minute, his brain struggled to find something to say. It defaulted to condolences.

"I'm sorry, that must hurt. I can't imagine losi-"

Kazane yelled.

"I'M GLAD THAT FUCKER'S DEAD! SORRY doesn't mean ANYTHING. SORRY didn't mean NOTHING after he got behind the wheel drunk and PARALYZED ME FROM THE WAIST DOWN. Give me that DAMN GRIEF SEED IF YOU'RE SORRY."

Deku didn't handle anger well, and this wasn't it. This was despair. Yelling instantly reminded him of Bakugou. His body poured sweat. There were no grief seeds left. It had been used after the entrance exam. He gasped, nervously transforming and searching around his sweater pocket for a grief seed

"I-I used it a-after the e-ent-trance e-exam. I'm s-sorry, I'll g-get you a new one r-right n-now."

Her look of pure fury sent a shiver down his spine. Lips distorted into a harsh snarl, she spat.

"OF COURSE YOU WILL! Of course, you used the grief seed, and you probably fucking got into U.A too, huh? What the fuck did you think I was trying to do for the past three days without your presence? There are no witches in my territory. Some STUPID BITCH STOLE MY KILL and I couldn't even defend myself. I couldn't even kill that stupid rat witch either, couldn't get into U.A, COULDN'T SAVE THAT GIRL EITHER?"

Her fist unfurled, her soul gem rolling out by her side. Pure black stars spotted the outside, and a dark fog gathered at the center. Barely any yellow shined through. Deku gasped.

"K-Kazane! I- your soul gem!"

Stepping forward, he flinched as she threw a glass at his shoulder. Blood dribbled down his shoulder. The pain was not felt.

"BACK THE FUCK OFF! Don't want my cooties, remember?"

The warm liquid stained his outfit. He couldn't move, trembling in fear.

"I didn't mean to-"

She swirled a finger around the floor, eyes dull.

"Of course you didn't mean to. OF COURSE, YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO! Of course, you didn't mean to, you're a big hero, right? HEROES don't do bad things, DO THEY?"

Instantly, he shook his head, not wanting to be scolded further. Kazane laughed and added.

"Well, I'm no hero then."

Deku went into autopilot. Kazane needed medical attention.

"I'll call 9-1-1, now."

Kazane rolled her eyes. More dark stars spotted her soul gem.

"NOPE. I can't even call 9-1-1 myself, can I? It's no different than that damn wheelchair. I'm still so weak, even after years of experience a newbie like you up-staged me. I hate you, you know that? I absolutely loathe your powers, it's just not fair. You don't deserve to get into U.A, I did. I TRAINED AND TRAINED AND TRAINED FOR TWO YEARS AND EVEN WITH MY MAGICAL POWERS IT STILL WASN"T FUCKING ENOUGH. But you, Izuku Midoriya, contracted and were at a default stronger than me. I could never be like you, no matter my experience. You got into U.A with at most two months of magical girl training. You didn't have to work for a thing in your life, you're lucky, that's it. There's just no use for me here, no use for a weak magical girl who's fire isn't even strong enough to take down a witch while giving my all."

Tears ran down his cheeks. She was right. He hadn't had to work for anything. Even people with strong quirks had to work at it, work at their control and strengthening its potency. He was an imposter. Bakugou deserved to be a hero more than he did, he had evidently trained. Deku hadn't required any of that, all he did was make a wish. This had been given to him. Wallowing in pain, he cried out as hot tears slid down his cheek.

"You're right, I hate myself. I'm so afraid of everything, I can't even stand up to my bully. I don't deserve this power."

Kazane's expression neutralized.

"I'm sorry, Deku. I didn't mean that. I'm so stupid, so, so stupid. I was better off paralyzed and stuck in that damn chair. Even my power was handicapped."

Deku smiled, things would be okay. Her sobs stilled and her breath evened out. Dark stars almost completely blotted out her soul gem.

"How can I help?"

That was the wrong choice of words.

"How do I stop being obsolete? I get rid of what's replacing me. JUST DIE ALREADY, IZUKU MIDORIYA. I'm so sorry."

Grabbing her soul gem, she threw the completely blackened gem towards him. Holding his hands up, it didn't strike him. Instead, it burst open in a wave of energy that shattered furniture and sent him crashing into the drywall. It crumbled around him, dust hung in the air. Her soul gem reformed into a grief seed, one that instantly hatched. Reality wobbled away. Deku cried as his soul gem resonated with the witch's energy.

Eyes blurred by tears, the scenery was unfamiliar. Eldritch chanting filled his ears. It was some sort of religious hymn, sung with eerily low voices. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Deku willed himself to calm. There was no use dying. He had to save Kazane, but he knew deep down that there was no saving her. He had to be a real hero.

Deku stood on a stone pathway, one that was ornate yet rested in ruin. Faded artwork painted the stone arches rising up from the kitchen. Planks of wood and bits of drywall floated through the inky void. Most of the witch's labyrinth had been doused in utter black. The only thing that remained illuminated was the crumbling stone path that seemingly disappeared into the void. Small light bulbs hunt above the bridge, flickering randomly.

That was the way he had to go. Holding back a sob, Deku retrieved his journal and equipped the explosion quirk. Maximum destruction. Walking down the stone bridge out into the void, he couldn't help his wobbling legs. Heights. The pit was seemingly bottomless. The dark fog cleared as he came upon a crossroads in the path. Yellow hooded figures shuffled towards him. Familiars. Deku couldn't see past their yellow robes, and he didn't need to.

Holding his gauntlets behind his body, Deku released an explosion and rocketed towards them. The ominous chanting grew louder. A loud pained wail rocked his body. She knew he was here. His green explosion easily shred through their robes. Pain seared his body as his eyes caught fire. Momentarily blinded, he flooded magic back into his burned sockets. Beneath their robes, the familiars shined as if staring at the sun. He couldn't kill them.

Passing a set of cutlery floating in the void, his footsteps slammed rhythmically against the finely-engraved stone bricks. The chanting grew louder. His soul gem resonated stronger. The witch was closer. Instead of fighting the wave of yellow-hooded figures, Deku jumped over them. A bolt of pure darkness shot past his face. It nipped his nose, enough for him to bleed. The pain was easy to ignore, just like his now-mended eyes. Instead of a crossroad of pathways, Deku came upon an upwards stairwell.

The steps were ornate, marble and other precious stones layered on top of each other randomly. Pillars rose up from the void as he ascended the stairs. Their movements were loud, rumbling with each of his steps. A fridge floated in the void. Deku came upon a chapel and shivered.

Another tortured wail.

A large statue stood before him. Almost as large as the decrepit and crumbling cathedral, it stood with open arms, as if ready to embrace. Ancient robes draped along her feminine form. It looked like one of those ancient Greek statues he had seen on his school trip. A blindingly white fire burned at her eye's, flowing back behind her face. It was the only thing that just barely managed to cut through the overbearing darkness. This was the witch.

Movement and color caught his attention. There was a bloody altar at the statue's base. Yellow hoods brought a sole flailing green hood upon the altar. Chanting in unison, they formed a large knife of darkness above the green hooded figure. As the knife was slammed down into the green body, Deku swore he could feel the pain himself. Watching as the blood slowly dripped over the altar, it pooled at the gigantic statue's feet.

Glancing up, Deku wasn't sure if the statue had always been smiling. The fire at her eyes was burning brighter. He could feel its heat from all the way at her feet.

A golden glow was cast upon the green figure, and its bleeding stopped. Part of the yellow crowd turned to face Deku. The chanting stopped.

Throwing up a green shield, the bolts of darkness thudded and dissipated. He couldn't get close to them when they were all bunched together, he didn't know what they'd do as a group. Instead, he held the shield in place as he flipped through his journal. His magic strained against the black bolts of darkness. Equipping the super soaker, he devised a plan. Almost instantly after he dropped the shield, golden flames were blasted his way from the statue's eyes. Even without contacting him, the heat burned at his skin. The pain didn't matter. The beams of fire burned through the cathedral's tile floor with ease.

Dodging more bolts of darkness, he saw the remaining hooded figures raising another large black knife. Once again, it plunged into the green figure. Fresh blood spilled down at the statue's feet. Her fiery eyes grew brighter. The witch grew stronger. Deku could feel it. Dodging another beam of fire, he fired large globs of rancid slime towards the attacking familiars. It stained and covered their yellow robes. They died, light only managing to sear through the few spots uncovered by sludge. It worked. Aiming again, he pulled back the trigger and watched the other familiars stumble and explode in a now-muted burst of light.

A ball of golden fire was sent his way and another beam of light after he dodged the first. Barely keeping up with the witch, he panted and groaned. The witch had destroyed much of the floor, rubble fell into the void. A familiar but disconnect searing pain caught his attention. Left leg gone. Instead of healing it, he formed another with sludge. He limped with each step, sludge slowing him down considerably. More familiars remained at the altar. Deku wouldn't let the witch get any stronger. One by one he shot them with way too much slime. It did its job, but the light that escaped still pained his eyes considerably. Deku could feel himself losing blood. He needed to heal himself. Willing the green magic to his leg, he groaned in pain as it quickly grew back. Bone first, flesh later. The green familiar died too, he didn't care if it wasn't hostile. It was still a familiar.

Glancing back up at the statue upon dodging another blast of fire, she was frowning. Now that the familiars were out of the way, it was time for the witch to die. Flipping through his book as he dodged another beam of golden fire, he reached into the pages. The cold sensation was calming when face with the scorching-hot light assaulting him. Gauntlets equipped, he clinked them together and let off a small explosion. Smoke curled from his fists as he yelled out in anger.

Using his explosion for momentum, his velocity increased drastically towards the statue. Wind whipped at his hair. His yell was savage, his voice echoing and wobbling with emotion. Green energy gathered in his palms as he charged explosions in them both. Deku's eardrums instantly ruptured upon detonating the blasts but were healed moments later. The two green explosions chipped at the statue's stone, cracking her significantly. Impossibly bright light shined through the cracks, searing everything in its path. The green shockwave following his explosions was the last nail in the coffin. The statue crumbled, cracked completely in half and fell into the void. Brilliant golden light illuminated all of the darkness until none remained. The sun shined as the labyrinth wobbled away, letting him see Kazane's corpse fall down into the void.

It was too cruel. Deku curled in on himself against the cool tile floor. He was back in her kitchen, but that blinding light remained in his eyes as an after-image. Deku flooded himself with healing magic but gave it no direction. He just wanted the pain to stop. A familiar clink caught his attention. A grief seed. Crawling along the floor, his hands dug into the tile and shattered it. Using the broken tile as a handhold, he eased his way over to it pathetically across the kitchen floor. He held the seed in his hand, gazing down hopelessly at the solar symbol crowning the silver spindle. This was Kazane's grief seed. There was no denying it anymore, there was no turning back. Deku hated himself. How could he have been so stupid? This had been one big fantasy, one that was now biting him in the ass. He should have seen it sooner. Deku wanted to die already.

Holding the grief seed to his almost-black soul gem, he sobbed as the black mist was sucked out in waves. From black-riddled to brilliant pine green, but Deku still felt relief. It was an artificial relief, the knowledge stuck in his mind. He felt great on the surface, but he knew it wasn't true. There was no turning back now, he couldn't purge the knowledge from his mind what had happened to Kazane and would likely happen to him. Placing his head back down on the kitchen tile, he entered the fetal position and cried and cried and cried.

* * *

 **Witch Data:** The Sun Witch

 **Name:** Jude

 **Nature:** Obsolete

The Sun Witch, with an obsolete nature. She was once the omnipotent goddess of the sun, tasked with the responsibility of turning day from night. Her followers have almost entirely disregarded her, flocking to alternate sources of light. Her shrine withers with each day forgotten in darkness. Her name is ancient to all but few, they only know of modern light. Spiteful, she will burn any pilgrim who visits her shrine. Many come to her for last-resort healing, but she is unyielding. Her acolytes have failed her, and so she casts the world in darkness. Few priests remain, barely sustaining her with human sacrifice upon her altar. Each sacrifice slowly returns her glory. One can easily beat her by bringing light back into her world.

 **Name:** Johnathan

 **Duty:** Honoring

Minion of the Sun Witch. Their duty is to honor the Sun Witch. The last of their kind, they are cherished for sustaining her with human sacrifices. They often wander out into the human world in search of unfortunate souls requiring divine intervention. These Familiars will do anything to bring light to their goddess, but unfortunately are only capable of wielding darkness.

 **Name:** Usagi

 **Duty:** Innovation

Minion of the Sun Witch. Their duty is to innovate new sources of light. They are nocturnal creatures, the sun is irrelevant to them. Without knowing it, their attempts at helping their mistress only serve to plunge her further into darkness. Jude cannot help smiting them, their bright green robes providing excellent targets in the dark.


	7. Demonstration

**Musutafu Suburbs: Ostuka Residence**

Deku laid on the floor for hours. Hours until he found the will to stand. He didn't want to leave, didn't want to stand, but he did. His stirring had been provoked by white and magenta. Kyubey. Its eyes remained glossy and unresponsive. Anger bloomed in his chest, but a wave of hopelessness snuffed it out. Kazane's grief seed was cold in his grasp. Dread weighed on his stomach.

"So, Kyubey, how long until I turn into a witch?"

He couldn't help but laugh at himself, laugh at how ironic it had all been.

"Well, I didn't foresee you surviving today and so any response would be inconclusive. Obviously, I've underestimated your resilience, Izuku Midoriya."

Leaning against a counter-top, his response was pained and shaky.

"Y-you, y-ou lied to me! Why d-didn't you tell me ab-bout what would happen if you knew K-kazane would... do that today."

Slamming his hand on the counter, a plate was sent shattering to the floor.

"When did I lie? Nothing I've told you was false. There is nothing besides death that can prevent a magical girl from eventually succumbing to despair and hatching into a witch. It's a cycle that not even I can control. If anything, I must thank you."

Spitting on the ground, he glanced away from the monster. Deku hated himself, hated how he didn't think ahead and hated how naive he had been. Most of all, he hated how he hadn't been there for Kazane. Deku fingered the grief seed, familiar with its dark signature. He didn't want to die, didn't want to know what it felt like to turn into a witch.

"Thank me? For w-what, killing k-kazane?"

He supposed that was the only silver lining. Deku had prevented that witch from harming other people. It didn't feel like a silver lining. It felt like the slightest shimmer of hope in an abyss of darkness. The only thing keeping him sane.

"Yes. You helped advance her progression into a witch. Her envy of you was clearly the tipping point that caused her curse to break free. I must thank you for that. She wouldn't have turned if not for your visit."

Kyubey swished its tail. Deku threw a splinter of wood at Kyubey and growled. It was taunting him. Deku knew that and yet he still fell for it. Even though it spoke in that chilly tone with an objective point of view, its mockery was clear. Seemingly unfazed, it stared back at him with a neutral expression. The magical boy seethed.

"Why are you thanking me? Actually- no, don't answer that. I don't trust a word from your mouth. G-get away from me, I don't want to look at you anymore."

Heart fluttering wildly, his face was surprisingly calm. Utterly broken. Holding back a torrent of tears, Deku wiped his runny nose. Taking a few deep breaths, he found that it did nothing. Frustrated, he let himself sob as he fled the apartment. Deku didn't care what Kazane's neighbors would think, it's not like he'd be returning.

* * *

 **Musutafu Suburbs:**

Deku didn't walk home. He walked everywhere but. There was no way he could return to his mother who was overjoyed at his acceptance into U.A. Quite honestly, Deku didn't even care about that dumb school anymore. That school had been the reason he had contracted. It was the reason Kyubey had managed to trick him. It was clear now, what had happened. In hindsight, it had seemed awfully lucky that Kyubey had shown up while a witch-controlled villain attacked him. Now, he knew that it had been anything but. It had been the most unlucky moment of his life.

The setting sun and fresh air were enough to calm him down. It was enough to soothe his trembling upper-lip and shaking hands. He wasn't okay though. Kicking a rock down the sidewalk, he took a moment to savor how that felt. How it felt to breathe. Suddenly, he cherished everything he had previously taken for granted. Deku had been so stupid to hate his quirkless self, hate the condition he was born into. Right now, he wanted to be back in his bedroom watching clips of All-Might while not grieving over a lost friend. He didn't want to be a magical boy.

An uneasy thrumming began in his soul gem. Manifesting it in hand, he worriedly glanced at the pin-pricks of darkness spotting the pine green.

Deku took a deep breath.

He couldn't be dumb anymore, he couldn't rely on Kyubey for information now that it had lied to him once. Once was enough. Deku needed to figure this stuff out himself. Kazane had been distraught when her soul gem was completely black. Deku was distraught now if he was honest with himself, and there was black in his soul gem even if negligible. The link was clear. It explained why he felt better whenever he cleansed it with a grief seed. He couldn't be distraught. But he didn't know how, it was easier said than done. How couldn't he despair, when faced with the eventuality of turning into a witch? That thrumming resonated again. He changed his train of thought, changed it to the squirrel scurrying up a tree.

Forcing out a smile, he greeted the old woman who passed him by. It grounded him. The earth was still spinning, other people still lived, and he still had U.A tomorrow. He savored the feeling of being alive, he wanted to keep it. It's what Kazane would have wanted. Or would she? Ignoring her harsh words that flashed in his mind, he explained them away. That had been a result of her polluted soul gem- also his fault. Deku screwed his palm into his forehead. Did the chicken or the egg come first? It wouldn't matter, the end result was what mattered, and what he blamed himself for. It was hard to avoid this train of thought. It was like the cumulative effect of a snowball rolling down the mountain. One thought was enough to get his mind reeling. He couldn't let that happen. Deku didn't know if he'd be able to stop it next time. Instead, he focused on the setting sun. Making Inko worry about the location of her son was the last of Deku's priorities. He wouldn't cause anymore pain.

Musutafu Suburbs: Midoriya Residence

Deku should have expected this. He knew from the moment he entered the door and met Inko's face that she could tell something was up. Deku hated how easy he was to read, but quelled that thought. He couldn't afford to think that way anymore. Staring up into his mother's eyes, he couldn't let anything happen to himself. Deku couldn't bear to even imagine what grief would do to his mother's face.

"Izuku! What happened? Mama's here."

She grabbed his hands, he couldn't meet her eyes. The truth toiled on the tip of his tongue, but a lie paved it over.

"I- can't talk about it, I'm sorry mom."

She didn't let his hands go. Deku tugged at them. He didn't want to do this right now, he couldn't fight with his mom after all that had happened.

"Tell me. Is it something to do with Kazane? Did you two fight?"

Deku held back a laugh. It was morbidly funny how ironically true those words had been. In a way, it was eerie to Deku the intuitive sense his mother had. Many of his relatives believed him to take after his mother in that regard, he could understand that now.

"Yes, we did. I don't think I'll be seeing her anymore."

That deep concern on her face lightened somewhat, subconsciously. It was just a teenage heartbreak. Deku was fine with that, it conveyed the situation accurately enough. Accurate enough as to where he could talk to her without raising suspicion. With a deep sigh, she relented her grip and moved her hand to pat his shoulder. As always, her touch comforted him. For a brief moment, he felt okay, nothing else mattered. She inhaled before speaking with that soft maternal tone.

"Ah- breakups. I've been there, Izuku, it doesn't feel great. It feels like you'll be alone forever, and it's frightening I know. You feel like your life will never be the same, that you'll never love again, but that's not true. I've gone through plenty of this when I was your age, believe it or not, I was somewhat of a heartthrob. But I digress. Remember what I said, Izuku. Don't change, stay the same way I've known you before any of this new quirk stuff happened. This won't be forever."

Opening her arms for a hug, Deku obliged. Not to quell suspicion, but because he really did need a hug. He clung to his mother's embrace, savored the comforting closeness as he let out a few sobs. There was no use pretending to be fine when she already believed the cause. Crying was a reasonable and explainable response to a breakup, Deku didn't think she'd suspect anything. Swallowing the feeling that choked him up, Deku said.

"I really am a mess, mom. I feel exactly like you described. I'm so scared, I don't know if I'll ever feel that way again, I just don't know. I feel uncertain about my future, I don't know what's going to happen to me."

Deku was gushing, and so was that feeling in his soul gem. His eyes went wide and he inhaled sharply. With a deep breath, he brought everything back to mind. It was better for him to ignore those feelings, continue on as if fine. He couldn't even vent his feelings without that familiar dark feeling creeping and spreading inside his soul gem. Deku's small smile was forced, and he laughed before his mother could respond. Face-palming, he added.

"Can't believe I let it affect me so much. Just a dumb breakup, I shouldn't let it bother me."

The look that now replaced Inko's expression was exactly what Deku had hoped for. Instead of heartbreaking concern, her expression was upturned and somewhat relieved; happy. If he was happy, Inko would be happy. Deku wouldn't drag anybody else down with him.

"Ah! That's the hero I know, isn't it, Izuku?"

It was the hero she knew. Like a flood, her previous words of wisdom flooded his system.

Something I've learned in life is that no matter what happens, I have to keep moving forward and to never doubt my decisions once I make them.

And it's true. Deku has to move forward, there's nothing else for him if he stops. It's not just an inspirational quote. He can't look back and dwell or wallow, it'll only result in his demise. Kyubey would win, Deku wouldn't let it. That damn thing thought the cycle was unstoppable, Deku would prove it wrong. It probably took pleasure in it too. He knows that regret and anger will cause his undoing, from experience now, from Kazane.

More than ever, he could be a hero. No longer was he naive, he knew the stakes. This was no longer a fantasy, and Deku was fine with that. Taking a deep breath, courage invigorated him. U.A was just around the corner, and he has to force himself to run towards it. It hurts, but it's all he can do.

"Yes, mom, I'm ready to be a hero now."

Kazane gave herself to clean his soul, her grief seed saved him. Deku wouldn't let her down. Deku would become the hero she aspired to be. Deku would make her proud. A single tear slid down his cheek, he wiped it away with a genuine smile.

"That's perfect, dear. I'm glad you're feeling better."

* * *

"Do you have your tissues?"

Inko asked, fussing about and patting the wrinkles from her son's clothing.

"Yes mom, I do."

Deku wouldn't get frustrated at the fussing. He appreciated it now, appreciated what it meant. Somebody cared about him. He needed that right now.

"Oh and your handkerchief?"

Glancing over his shoulder, his hands rummaged through his school bag. The familiar green handkerchief was there, next to his tissues and sewing kit. His mother liked him to be prepared, and he couldn't fault her for that most of the time. Deku glanced at his watch. This was one of the times he did fault her for that.

"I have it. Mom, I'm going to be late. My bus isn't always reliable and I really don't want to walk all the way there myself."

Taking the hint, Inko backed off. Tears gathered in her eyes. Holding up her hands in defeat, she added.

"I just think you're so cool Izuku."

A sound of a camera shutter caught his attention. Inko now held her phone up, camera pointed directly at him. She didn't even try to hide it. Deku blushed and went out the door.

"Mom! See ya after school."

* * *

 **Musutafu City:**

Nobody could see his soul gem, from what he gathered. He held it in hand on the bus, fiddled with it and stared into its green light. It had been an accident at first, the egg-shape taking form routinely as he worried over its pollution. At that moment he had completely forgotten that other people were present. Even as its glow was strong enough to reflect in the eyes of the person sitting across from him, they didn't glance down. The function was likely to be similar in effect to how people who don't have the potential to contract couldn't see Kyubey. It would make sense that nobody could see his soul gem.

Deku knew playing with it probably wasn't the greatest idea. He remembered what Kazane had told him, about how sometimes magical girls fought. What if there was a magical girl on the bus? Deku was doubtful, as they probably would have reacted by now, or at least glanced his way with suspicion. Still, it wasn't a comforting idea, and so he returned it to its ring form and crossed his arms. The bus lurched. They were there anyway, he couldn't distract himself any longer. Deku was the only one to disembark at the bus stop near U.A's gates. Now they were all looking at him, Deku wished he had his hood to do up. Did they think he was unworthy? Did they think he was a hero?

This was his second time visiting U.A, crossing through that ornate gate and walking up the concrete pathway. He glanced at the fountain, at the spot where he and Kazane spoke. Deku's expression neutralized, he couldn't linger on that thought. Instead, he loosened the strap on his bookbag and continued up the steps. Only a fraction of the people were here now. There was barely anybody left compared to the crowds who applied. Deku was one of the people who were still there. Like before, flower petals danced on the wind, a floral scent carried along with them. The flowers were in bloom, it was very pretty. People chatted by the fountain, but he forced himself to stay away from it. Nothing good would come from that, he knew the kind of memories it would trigger. He couldn't risk it.

Instead, he ran into the large red doors. The school had a distinct architectural style, it was modern and very clean.

* * *

Large panel windows passed along him as he ran towards his classroom. Deku was definitely late, but only by a few minutes. Crossing his fingers, he hoped that whatever teacher he had first period would be graceful. He counted the signs as he passed them, coming up to the one labeled 1-A.

Taking a deep breath, he gulped. Hopefully, that jerk wouldn't be here, nor Bakugou. Deku didn't want to deal with them today, didn't know how it'd affect his mood.

The jerk's voice was loud and clear, directed towards none other than Bakugou.

"Don't put your feet on your desk!"

The blonde boy smirked.

"Eh?"

Deku held back a flinch at Bakugou's response voice. That voice was enough to send him on edge.

"Don't you think it's disrespectful to the upper-classmen and the people who made this desk?"

As usual, the guy's voice was snotty and pretentious, as if Bakugou was the subject in his kingdom. Deku wasn't mad about that for once, his bully deserved that from the snob.

"Nope. What junior high did you go to, side character?"

Instead of interrupting and gaining everyone's attention, Deku stayed behind the semi-opened door. He was fine just watching for now. He still wasn't ready for conflict yet

The jerkwad was caught off guard, before steadying himself and placing an arm across his chest ceremoniously.

"I attended Somei Private Academy. My name is Tenya Iida."

Of course he did. Deku rolled his eyes. Iida took every chance he could to show off. It was easier to watch than to interrupt.

"Somei? So you're an elite, huh? Looks like I'll have fun crushin ya."

If Deku had to compliment Bakugou on anything, which would be unlikely, it'd have to be his brashness. He wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind and didn't beat around the bush.

Iida jumped back, the violent words sending him back.

"Crushing? That's cruel, do you truly aim to be a hero?"

Deku had thought that too, once, thought about how Bakugou was the least-heroic person in the world and had still been gifted a powerful quirk. He stopped thinking it. Bakugou was just lucky, he didn't deserve what he had. Deku paused, thinking about how that thought applied to himself as well. Shaking his head, he didn't let that trail of negativity continue. Deku wasn't lucky, and he knew that for sure.

Bakugou's eyes widened as they locked with Deku's. The magical boy didn't hesitate.

Walking into class, he pointedly ignored the stares of the people around him. He paused when Iida approached. What did he want now?

"Good morning! I am from Somei Academy. My name is-"

Deku stopped the introduction, trying his best to not reply with a sarcastic tone. Iida had treated him just like Bakugou, and so he wouldn't be deceived by the sudden change in attitude.

"I already know your name."

Deku was surprised Iida was talking to him in the first place, honestly. He didn't care if his response was curt and possibly rude, Iida wasn't someone to make small-talk with. But neither an enemy.

Iida paused, confused. The class snickered. Deku cleared his throat.

"I'm Midoriya. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Iida."

Iida reached out to shake his hand. Deku hesitated a bit too long before taking it. He wasn't sure if he should take it, but decided against being rude. He was here to be a hero, not participate in petty drama. Iida was in his class, but Deku would just distance himself. He didn't need people who treated others like that around. It wasn't a good look.

"Well, Midoriya. You realized there was something more to the practical exam, didn't you? I had no idea... I misjudged you! I hate to admit it, but you're better than me."

It was interesting, how Iida could meander around an apology without actually saying sorry. Its thoughtlessness angered Deku. Even while apologizing Iida still rubbed Deku the wrong way.

"Umm... No, I didn't realize anything. Someone was in danger and I helped them, that's why I'm here. I came to this school because it is the top for heroics courses available, not as a status symbol to show off while introducing myself. You did misjudge me, you thought yourself above me because of whatever elite identity you cling to. I didn't go to an elite junior high, and so it doesn't matter to me if I'm better than people I'm supposed to be friendly with as my peers."

Deku sucked in a gasp, surprised at his own words. Scratching his curly green locks, he stood awkwardly. The class had grown silent. Kazane had definitely rubbed off on him. He didn't want to have said that, but he couldn't take the words back.

Ida sounded off, almost dejected even. Deku hoped he'd grow more tolerable, and hoped that he didn't hurt his feelings too much.

"Midoriya... I..."

A girl's voice interrupted them, and Deku was glad. He knew that voice, the girl who had prevented him from falling.

"Oh, that curly hair! You're the plain looking one!"

While not the most flattering of compliments, he played with it in his mind. Did he really look that plain? Green hair probably wasn't all-too-common, but he supposed it was for the better. Turning around to face her, he listened to her ramble.

"You passed, just like Present Mic said! Of course you did, that punch was amazing! I loved the green colors, it was all so pretty."

Deku paused.

"What do you mean, like Present Mic said? I'm a bit confused, haha."

She tapped a finger on her chin, rocking forwards and back on the balls of her feet.

"Oh! I was so grateful for your help that I decided to give you a few of my points. You deserve it, really."

Deku blushed redder than a tomato. Despite all that he had gone through, a genuine compliment would still make him blush, especially from someone as nice as her. Bakugou growled from his seat, but Deku ignored him. The bully didn't matter right now.

"Thank you, I appreciate it very much... I was only doing what a hero should, it was really nothing."

Excitedly, she continued.

"I wonder if today's just the orientation and opening ceremony. Aren't you nervous?"

A grumbling male voice prevented Deku from responding to her.

"Go somewhere else if you want to play at being friends."

Harsh. Deku mentally prepared himself for a year of this teacher, his introduction was likely telling of what was to come. It wouldn't matter though, the teacher couldn't be that bad if he was employed at U.A. At most, the guy was strict. Deku could handle strict. He needed practice handling his emotions while getting yelled at anyway. It was good resilience training.

The source of the voice was a large yellow caterpillar. Deku glanced again. No, it was a yellow sleeping bag drawn up around the face of a very tired and scruffy looking man. Definitely eccentric.

"This is the hero course."

Unzipping himself from the inside, the strangely tired man sucked dry an applesauce packet, They all stared in confusion, unsure of his deadpan mumbling.

"Okay, it took eight seconds before you were quiet. Time is limited. You kids are not rational enough."

Deku knew better than to respond, he wasn't that kind of student. If this was their teacher, that meant he was also a pro-hero. A strange one at that. He looked barely lucid behind his thickly-wrapped grey scarf.

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Shouta Aizawa. Nice to meet you."

The class was stunned into silence. Deku stood still as if movement would draw all eyes to him.

Aizawa dug around his sleeping bag for something, eventually producing a track-suit of sorts.

"It's kind of sudden, but put this on and go out onto the field."

Deku gulped.

* * *

"A quirk assessment test?!" The class called out in unison, except Deku.

Standing off to the side, he fidgeted uncomfortably at the words. The magical boy froze, unsure of how to proceed. Aizawa had brought them all out onto the field and into a group. He stood in front of them, half-lidded as always. The last thing he wanted to do was show off his quirk in front of his class. Sure, Deku had thought of things to say, but not deeply enough to recite on the spot. A quiet groan slipped past his lips.

That same girl called out, and Deku worried she'd be scolded.

"What about the entrance ceremony, the orientation?"

Deku agreed with her, it was way too early for such an activity.

The response was deadpanned and monotone like always, abrasive too.

"If you're going to be a hero, you don't have time for such leisurely events."

Deku couldn't object to that, Aizawa wasn't wrong. Maybe a bit blunt, but not wrong. The girl shifted and held her sides.

"U.A's selling point is how unrestricted its school traditions are. That's also how the teachers run their classes."

Aizawa turned to the field.

"You kids have been doing these since junior high, too, right?"

He held up a list of sorts. Deku couldn't make out the words from where he was standing.

"Physical fitness tests where you weren't allowed to use your quirks."

Folding his arms together, Deku bit his lip. He didn't like where this was going.

"The country still uses averages taken from results from students not using their quirks. It's not rational."

In middle school, the prevention of quirk use was what allowed him to get good grades in gym class. Deku understood what the teacher was saying, but didn't agree. Quirkless people deserved better than to do horribly in physical education just because they lacked a quirk. It was just one of the many things people with quirks didn't understand, didn't understand from their point of privilege. Deku saved his grievances, he needed to come up with a plan.

"Well, the ministry of education is procrastinating."

He stepped back, looking towards Bakugou.

"Bakugou, you finished at the top of the practical exam, right? In junior high, what was the best result for the softball throw."

"Sixty-Seven meters."

"Then, try doing it with your quirk."

Definitely not a good activity for Deku. He needed to think fast. Aizawa instructed Bakugou into the circle, the blonde boy eagerly following the command. The bully wanted to show off, of course. No surprise there. Deku could use that to his advantage. All of the class was focused on Bakugou but now wasn't the time. Bakugou was still facing the crowd, and so, therefore, Deku too.

Bakugou stretched his arms, grumbling.

"Then, well."

Digging a foot into the ground, he got into a pose and went through the motions of throwing the ball. Deku trembled with anticipation. This would be his opening.

"I'll add a blast to the pitch."

Winding backward, Bakugou threw the ball and detonated an explosion at the same time.

"Die!" He yelled out, Deku's queue.

As all eyes were on Bakugou, Deku stepped back from sight. In a tightly-controlled glow of green light, Deku transformed into his outfit. Sweating from the concentration it had required to tighten his magic like that, he hoped the diminished light hadn't caught anyone's attention yet. The change of outfit eventually would, but the later, the better. The class awed at the explosion, Deku hid within his bunny hood.

Shock waves blasted the field from the explosion, rings of smoke following the ball as it rocketed quickly beyond sight.

"Know your own maximum first."

Aizawa said, clicking a knob on his phone. Turning to face the class, Deku braced himself.

"That is the most ratio-"

Deku locked eyes with his teacher, his expression caught in surprise. For once, their teacher's eyes were wide open.

"Midoriya. Explain to me why you thought it was appropriate to change out of your outfit and into cosplay. We do not tolerate juvenile behaviour at this school."

It certainly hadn't been the best reaction, but not completely terrible either. The class's attention had been drawn to him. The people next to him jumped back in surprise, not expecting his change in the slightest. Deku stilled. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Regardless, the attention made him blush under the shadow of his hood. The nice girl stared at his legs and high-rolled socks.

"It's required to use my quirk. If I were to have done it in front of class, I'd be exposing myself and I'm not comfortable with that. Modesty is not juvenile."

Deku almost slapped his hand over his mouth. That last bit had definitely counted as back-talk, and he definitely did not want a detention on the first day.

Aizawa's expression was unreadable.

Deku's classmates whispered among themselves, trying- but failing to avert their eyes from his green outfit. He knew it looked weird and knew it wasn't even the right kind of clothing for a boy, but there was nothing he could do about it besides drawing up into his hood.

"Good judgement. Let's move on class, stop gawking at his dress code breaching cosplay."

Now it was an amused expression. Deku was pointedly aware of it being called a cosplay twice. He was certain the second time had been on purpose, a direct response to Deku's subtle backtalk. He conceded by not responding, enough attention had been drawn to him. His peers stole glances at his magical boy outfit, and so he couldn't help but feel self-conscious.

Bakugou grumbled something too low for Deku to hear.

Approaching the class, Aizawa tapped his phone and showed it to the class. Impressed sounds followed, Deku squinted at the screen.

"Seven-hundred and fifty meters? Seriously?"

A blonde boy asked, incredulous.

Pleased with himself, Bakugou smirked and surveyed the class. Upon seeing Deku, his smile settled into a scowl. The magical boy remained still, choosing not to acknowledge his bully by reacting to the pointed change in expression.

A pink girl with antennae asked.

"What's this? It looks fun!"

A black-haired student cheered.

"We can use our quirks as much as we want! As expected from the hero course."

It was a bittersweet thing. They could use their quirks as much as they wanted but they didn't have to clean thei- Deku stopped that thought. It was useless envy. A low grumble caught Deku's ears.

"It looks fun, eh? You have three years to become a hero. Will you have an attitude like that the whole time?"

Aizawa smiled, Deku shivered.

"Alright. Whoever comes last place in the most tests will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion."

A collective gasp echoed out into the field. Deku held back, he was not so easily surprised. This was manageable, he was confident in his abilities. Deku didn't have to win, he just didn't have to come last.

"We're free to do what we want about the circumstances of our students."

Aizawa held his mop-like dark hair from his face, revealing a pair of amused eyes.

"Welcome to U.A's Hero course!"


	8. Adaptability

**U.A Academy**

The girl who had saved him was the first to protest against the harsh test.

"Last place will be expelled? But it's the first day of school! No, even if it wasn't the first day of school, it would be unfair."

Deku wasn't sure how he felt about it. Before he had contracted, he would have likely agreed. And he still did, for the most part. If somebody had passed the entrance exams then one test probably wasn't the best choice to kick somebody out. Out of the entire class, there was likely someone with a support-focused quirk and he didn't know how they'd compete in a physical competition like this. It was definitely unfair, and so he nodded with her words enthusiastically.

Aizawa grumbled out like usual.

"Natural disasters, big accidents, and selfish villains. Calamities whose time and place cannot be predicted. Japan is covered with unfairness. Heroes are the ones who reverse those situations. If you wanted to talk with your friends after school at Mickey D's, too bad. For the next three years, U.A will do all it can to give you one hardship after another. Go beyond. Plus ultra. Overcome it with all you got."

From the murmuring of his classmates, Deku assumed it to have resonated with them. It only resonated with him partly. How could a hero prosper and grow from these hardships if they are ejected from the program? He held back a frown, keeping his expression still and covered by his bunny hood. The way Aizawa talked rubbed Deku the wrong way. Deku wasn't a juvenile, and he didn't come here just to chat and make friends. That did not mean the message was lost on him though. Aizawa was more right than he could know, Japan was filled with unfairness, the same kind that misled Deku into contracting into something he could have never anticipated. Being obligated to fight witches to prevent his own demise was not fair. But he could overcome it. He could give plus ultra.

The hair on the back of Deku's neck stood. He could feel eyes boring into the base of his skull. Glancing back, he met Iida's eyes. They were obviously taking in his outfit, obviously amused at the flashy, and feminine, and flamboyant wears. Iida wasn't even trying to hide it, and so Deku whipped away from the eye contact. Deku stood awkwardly listening to Aizawa continue, half-wanting to cover up his bare legs with something that wouldn't incur those mocking stares.

* * *

First up was the fifty-meter dash. Deku flipped through his index of abilities. The propulsion offered by the slime would pale in comparison to Bakugou's explosions, but he wasn't sure how viable it was to use in a controlled setting. His regular magic manipulation could offer him the double-jump, but then again he wasn't sure if the explosions would provide a better boost. The muscular enhancement quirk would only slow him down by increasing air resistance with a bulkier form. Deku knew from experience that the double-jumps were more controlled, but didn't know how to apply them in this setting. Most of all, he didn't know to what degree he needed to be hiding his abilities. Deku knew he had to at some degree, so that people wouldn't grow suspicious, but on the other, he didn't want to waste what he now knows to have been gained by sacrifice.

Reaching into his sweater pockets, he fumbled through his journal's pages. Bakugou's gauntlets materialized around his arms. Iida lined up next to him, assuming the starting position with a bent knee and hand on the ground. His eyes wandered to the gauntlets on Deku's hands, curious and probing. It was an unlucky pairing that Deku and Iida were chosen to go first.

"On your mark..."

Deku clenched his fingers and primed the explosions. He could feel his magic pooling near his feet.

"Get set..."

A gun went off.

"Go!"

The first thing he realized was that Iida was much faster than him. The second thing he realized was that using the green jumps in tandem with the well-timed explosions provided both the stability from his magic and pure speed from the explosions. Air streamed by his face, blowing both his hair and hood back as they flapped in the wind. Iida was definitely faster than him. He couldn't look back to see how people were reacting to him and his demonstrated powers, and so he concentrated on the race. He used a series of alternating detonations, almost rhythmic in a way. First, he'd detonate two explosions in his fist but reign them in with a green burst from his feet seconds later. It was exhilarating to move this fast. The race was over before he knew it. Bakugou's snarling was difficult to listen to.

"THIEF!"

The insult was easy for Deku to ignore in terms of reacting, but not in being hurt. His classmates were staring, evidently confused by Deku's display, they had all seen a similar quirk being used twice. Similar quirks were not totally unheard of, but it was strange for two people in the same U.A class.

Aizawa glanced between the two. His stare was thoughtful, the way he rubbed at his chin reminded Deku of deep thinking. Their teacher was trying to figure something out. Shouta Aizawa was evidently trying to figure out Deku's quirk, and Deku didn't know if that was just a conclusion based on anxiety or logic. He didn't want to be figured out, he didn't like that probing gaze.

Iida came first. Deku was too focused on the quirks of his classmates to listen to the speeds of others, he tuned out the chipper robotic voice. He needed to see which were worth obtaining. It felt like he was scheming, planning something bad, but Deku knew that he wasn't. Still, he felt like he was preying on them in a way, sizing up their abilities to use for himself. This exercise would be more useful than Deku had originally thought. It wasn't just to prune out the weakest member of their class, it was an exercise in creative quirk applications.

Smoke billowed up from exhaust pipes on the back of Iida's calves. That one would definitely be useful for speed if it allowed him to move fifty meters in three-point zero four seconds. Doing the math in his head, it was roughly twelve meters a second. Definitely useful. The girl with green hair had an interesting method, choosing to jump erratically like a frog. Her tongue hung out, not unlike a frog. Deku didn't know if her quirk would be useful, he'd pay attention to her. Probably a frog X-Form. A blonde boy used- and failed, a laser beam from his stomach. The charge had only sent him half-way down the track. Potentially useful, but unlikely.

Bakugou was next, against some guy with a tail. His red eyes stared directly into Deku's, a snarl growing on his face. As the pistol blew, Bakugou held out his hands and let out a volley of explosions. His usage of the explosion quirk was much less tamed, detonating every possible second with no attempt at conserving- Deku glanced away, Bakugou didn't have to conserve magic. The sound of his explosions barely managed to muffle the string of curse words undoubtedly sent Deku's way. A chill went down Deku's spine when the machine read out the blonde boy's speed.

Without the assistance of magic, Bakugou had been slower by a considerable amount. Deku only had moments to contemplate the rage that was sure to ensue before it was unleashed. Roaring out in anger, Bakugou darted towards Deku.

"What kinda tricks are you pulling, eh? Stealing my quirk like that, using some sort of green light. You're not Deku, I don't know what you did with him but don't think I'll let you beat me, bastard!"

But Deku didn't react outwardly. He stayed in place as Bakugou stormed towards him, stayed stoic as the insults were practically screamed in his face. Even though he felt like he was thirteen again and back in high school, he didn't let the feeling take over. Instead of bawling or flinching like he normally would, Deku reached underneath his hood to scratch at his hair even as his body begged to curl up into a ball on the floor.

"Don't ignore me Deku! Shit don't work like that, I'm better than you, hear me? If I'm better than you, you gotta listen to me."

Deku blinked. He couldn't react, he knew what would happen if he would. He had Kazane to thank for that knowledge.

The only person to intervene was Aizawa.

"Bakugou, Izuku, stop fighting like children. If you want to fight over who uses their quirk better, don't do it during class time."

Grinding his feet into the ground, Bakugou gritted out a sound of annoyance before returning to the crowd of his class. Everybody gave him a wide berth.

It was funny how Aizawa had implicated Deku in the fight without any of his actual participation. Nobody asked if he was okay.

* * *

The next test was not so hard. Deku's muscular enhancement quirk was enough to almost blank-out the grip strength meter. Deku had to stop squeezing when he felt small snaps. The stares this quirk brought him were less than desirable. He knew the big muscular form didn't suit him, knew how it made him look like a cute version of the hulk. Bakugou was clearly not a fan, smoke curling from his nostrils as he gripped the machine. His growls served as a deterrent for everybody in the class. Once again, everyone kept their distance.

Iida was looking at him again, staring with those judgmental eyes. It made Deku want to shrink up and hide, but not in the same way that Bakugou did. Deku didn't know if Iida liked him or not, his poised posture and well kept expression masked any emotional tells. As soon as Deku was done with the test, he willed away the quirk and drew up into his hood. Shying away, he stood outside the class's main conglomeration of students.

* * *

Aizawa watched Izuku closely. The boy had already demonstrated four quirks. Slime, green energy, explosions, muscles. Two quirks was rare enough, but he had never heard of four. It was definitely an anomaly he'd report, especially to All-Might. Aizawa knew of only one quirk that could use those of others, and only knew one that could 'steal', as Bakugou had mentioned. On the off chance that his theory was true, he needed to alert All-Might and higher authorities as soon as possible.

He was different than when he had taken the entrance exam too. Aizawa remembered Izuku Midoriya as a sniveling child who flinched at everything. This was not that child, not at all. Something had happened.

* * *

Long jump was next, it wasn't a hard event. Much like the fifty-meter dash, Deku used the explosion quirk alongside a few magic boosts. Deku heard Bakugou mumble, but he didn't listen. Things were going fine, he wasn't in last place. He wouldn't be sent home today. It was getting harder and harder to ignore the blatant stares of both his teacher and classmates; Deku didn't like that feeling. Deku didn't like to know that people were thinking about him, likely harshly about every fumble or misfire. When his classmates talked to each other between rounds, Deku sat by himself on the grass and twirled a flower between his fingers.

* * *

The next event wasn't as easy. Side-stepping was his least favorite activity in junior high. An echo of phantom pain radiated up from his ankle, he remembered all of the ice packs and how they did nothing to alleviate his shin-splints. The short and skinny guy was first. His quirk was honestly grotesque, with the way he picked off his own purple spheres and placed them on the ground. Sure, the bouncing between them was quite useful, but it was uncomfortable to look at. This was one quirk he didn't want to use. Additionally, this guy had given him a weird look when Deku was enhanced for the grip-strength test. Just a creepy feeling in general.

Deku was lucky that his name had been called after Bakugou's. It was because of this that Deku had been able to watch how Bakugou applied his explosion quirk in this situation. The blonde boy was firing them off from his right and left hand in an alternating pattern. One explosion sent him to the right, and the other sent him to the left. It was this pattern that Deku used, adjusted and controlled with his own green magic. The rapid movement had left Bakugou disoriented and dizzy, but Deku felt fine. It was mostly due to the magic correcting the fluid in his ears, but he needed to stay prime. He couldn't let himself slip up and be expelled, or look weak in front of Bakugou.

* * *

During the ball toss event, the nice girl definitely prospered. From what he had read on her page in his journal, her quirk let her control how gravity affected certain objects. There was no contesting how useful it was for a throwing contest.

After she looked at her score and winked at him, Deku didn't know how to respond besides rubbing his cheeks into the soft sweater fabric in an attempt to hide his rosy blush.

It would have been easy for Deku to equip her quirk and use it for the same effect, but he decided against it. Not only would it cause increased suspicion, but it would likely also upset her. Deku didn't want that, he didn't want to upset the girl who helped him. There weren't enough people like that. Sadness struck him. Another part was how Deku had absolutely no idea about how her quirk worked and preferred not to use it for the first time during an assessment. Aizawa called a break, and for that Deku was glad. His breathing was labored, and sweat clung to his forehead.

Aizawa approached them, staring disinterestedly at the blonde boy's scowl. Facing Deku, he asked.

"You seem to have a firm grasp on Katsuki's quirk. Are you two related?"

The two shared a surprised glance. A blush spread across Deku's cheeks, while Bakugou's drew up into an angered frown. Almost in unison, they both replied.

"No! We're not."

Bakugou groaned and stalked away.

* * *

Iida chatted with Bakugou during the break. Both were exhausted, sweat dripping from their foreheads. The sun radiated too hot today, especially for the start of the school year.

"Midoriya is doing great, didn't you two come from the same school?"

A look of annoyance flashed on Bakugou's face. Eyebrow quirked, he huffed out a response.

"Yes, I did go to school with that quirkless sack of crap. Longest years of my life being with shitty Deku.'

Iida crossed his arms, facing his classmate.

"What do you mean, quirkless? Did you not see him during the practical exam?:

Bakugou spat on the ground, smoke curling up from his clenched fist.

"That bastard used to be quirkless, he's using some kind of dirty trick to copy my quirk. I swear that rat is a good for nothing, he only got this far because of his cheating ways."

Aizawa's ears perked up.

Iida adjusted his glasses, eyebrows scrunching together. He didn't comment on Bakugou's remarks, didn't react to the harsh words, nor the strange story about him being quirkless. Instead, he left Bakugou's side to join the person they had been talking about. To hear words that harsh about somebody so kind left an awful taste in his mouth, it just wasn't right.

Izuku stretched off to the side by himself, reaching down to his toes and touching them with ease. Iida watched as the strings of the green hoodie dangled in front of his face. It was weird, and he'd admit that, but the idea of having to change into an outfit to use a quirk definitely piqued his interest. That kind of thing wasn't something he often heard about, and so he was curious more than anything. Iida had to wonder if Izuku purposefully dressed in that way, the way that left more than an appropriate amount of his legs free if not for his knee-length socks. Was he not embarrassed to be dressed up like that in public? When their eyes met, Izuku looked away and blushed. He probably was embarrassed, meaning it was not voluntary and wasn't chosen. Iida grew more interested.

Shaking his head as he approached, the dismissed the thoughts from his mind. The reasons for the outfit were none of his business. Izuku's words resonated in his mind, and for a moment the memory made him feel hurt, but it passed. Izuku had been right. Iida had only respected him because of his ability. It was embarrassing honestly, how transparent he had been, and Izuku saw right through it.

* * *

Deku was aware of his approaching classmate but did not look up. He didn't know what to say to the man. Embarrassment burned at his face, thinking back to how he had given the man a lecture. Iida probably didn't deserve it, but it had been how Deku felt at the time. Deku didn't regret letting out his emotions, it was probably helpful in keeping his pollution in check. The words were not what he expected, and for that, he felt shame.

"Izuku, I thought about what you told me. You're right. It's hard for me to talk about, but I did see myself as above you. It doesn't matter what your quirk is, I was purposefully inflammatory before the examination. I sincerely apologize and hope you'll forgive me."

There was a slight pause before Deku smiled. He scratched at his head and stood upwards, cracking his back while doing so.

"No, it's fine. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me. That's inexcusable for a hero. I don't know you personally and so I shouldn't say those personal things."

Iida cracked a slight smile and bowed, but kept himself poised. Deku had to wonder if it was from success or relief.

"You did great, Izuku, I like your costume."

Almost on queue, Deku withdrew into his hood with a sound of resignation. Somewhat muffled by the fabric, he responded.

"I don't like it, but it's mandatory whenever I use my quirk."

Iida's eyebrow rose. Deku regretted his words. Bringing up his quirk was a mistake.

"What's your quirk? It's a subject of class debate."

Deku's heart skipped a beat. Not wanting to sound mysterious or nervous while addressing the question, he spoke eagerly.

"It's a-"

Aizawa's whistle interrupted their conversation. Iida straightened his back and posture. They didn't continue their conversation. Relief flooded his system. Saved by the whistle.

"Settle down class. We'll be continuing the ball-throw with Izuku Midoriya."

The scraggy teacher stared at him expectantly. Rubbing at his forearm, Deku strode over to the white-lined circle. Picking up the ball, he got a feel for its weight. His mind recalled how Bakugou had completed the activity. A simple well-timed explosion. Deku unfurled his hood, it was an unnecessary distraction and obstruction of his vision. Winding his arm back, green magic pooled in his palm.

"You're relying on that explosion too much, copying Bakugou's technique is a handicap to your ability growth."

Deku glanced to his side, just in time to see Aizawa's pupils flash red. An explosion detonated regardless, loud and powerful as it sent the ball soaring through the air and well-past Bakugou's own. Pumping his fist in the air, he faltered upon seeing the strange look on his teacher's face. Aizawa's expression was blank, shocked and almost disturbed. Looking down at his feet, he regretted using the explosion quirk. Aizawa's face grew shocked, eyes wide and angry.

Grey tendrils shot out, wrapping around his sides and pulling him in close. Deku barely had time to react as he yelped out in surprise. Those red eyes were intense, wild- scared. His class made rumblings of surprise too.

At barely a whisper, Aizawa spoke low enough to go unheard by the other students.

"I don't know what you've done or what you're planning, but I'll get to the bottom of it before you can harm any of my students. I'll discover your secret. You don't fool me."

Grief pooled in his soul gem. Deku froze, fingers trembling as they pathetically tried to pry out of the bindings. He took another look at his scowling teacher. Aizawa looked different with the fabric floating around him and hair flowing about. It revealed a pair of yellow goggles. This was Eraserhead, pro-hero. Realization made his knees give out, he fell to the floor with a huff.

Deku stared at the ground as the appendages let him go and returned to Aizawa's neck. It was impossible, it was barely his first day but his secret was already spilled. He knew exactly what had transpired. Eraserhead could temporarily nullify a quirk by sight, and Aizawa had attempted that on him but obviously failed. Deku was caught in a spot-light, quirk nullification failed on him. Possibilities raced through his mind. Scenarios danced out. Ways to get around this mess soon formed. Deku could pretend like the gaze had missed, or play it off as a mistake on his teacher's part. That would probably be easier for whatever authorities Aizawa contacted to assume than anything to do with magical girls. From the everyday person's point of view, logic dictated that Eraserhead simply missed in that situation, not that there was some kind of secret magic involved.

Aizawa's voice was booming and loud.

"Stop getting distracted, this was none of your business. Class will continue."

All Deku could do was return to the crowd of his class and shrug when asked what happened. Class would continue, and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

Nothing happened during the rest of the school day. Deku placed third in the rankings, but it turned out not to matter anyway. Mineta came last. The threat of expulsion had apparently only been a ruse to inspire them to participate to their full ability, and Deku had done so. The threat worked. After class, he picked up his curriculum and class schedule. Tomorrow's training would be a lot more intense. He needed to pick up another grief seed just in case. Kazane's only had two charges remaining, he couldn't risk being without one. Even after her passing he learned from Kazane, learned what not to do. Having an extra grief seed at all times would prevent failed witch hunts resulting in what he didn't want to remember.

Tiredness weighed down his body. His posture sagged. Calling on his magic, Deku regenerated the micro-tears in his muscles and rid himself of the fatigue. His skin glowed a soft green momentarily. It didn't seem to use much magic.

Continuing down the school's exit, a hand on his shoulder startled him. Expecting to get grilled by Aizawa, relief flooded him upon seeing that it was simply Iida. The touch was comforting, almost.

"Aizawa sure is something, eh Midoriya? Best of the best, I guess."

Deku nodded briefly, wanting to pass this subject of conversation. He didn't want to remember his encounter with Aizawa. Iida nodded knowingly, realization apparent in his eyes.

"It was a hard day's work, but I guess that's necessary to be a hero. I wonder what we'll be up to tomorrow, Iida."

"I didn't even see that lie coming, but it was definitely effective! Whatever's planned for tomorrow will definitely be a challenge. Although, I'm sure you'll do fine Midoriya. Everyone seems to be really interested in your quirk. What's the secret?"

It was easier to play off now, especially since Iida held but a shred of presence compared to Aizawa. Deku's tone was playful.

"Oh, I- I'm able to mimic and store the quirks that are used against me. Please don't tell anybody though, I don't want people to be weirded out by me or anything. Y-you saw how Bakugou treats me. I just..."

Deku knew it was a risk, but this was a controlled one. Somebody would know eventually or likely figure it out themselves. By presenting it to one person, he wouldn't come off as any more secretive than he already appeared.

Iida contemplated, eyebrows drawn up pensively. He smiled, before saying.

"That explains a lot, it must be pretty useful. Though, getting affected by a quirk first probably isn't the best experience. I can probably imagine how you gained Bakugou's."

Iida paused, glancing around somewhat while continuing.

"Look, if he ever tries to hurt you again or anything like that, I'm here for you. You're a good person Izuku, and you deserve better than to be treated like that by him. From just what I saw today, I was disgusted. Somebody with that kind of temperament is a risk. Your secret is safe with me."

Deku smiled genuinely, a warm feeling washing over him. It made his body feel airy and muscles light. He smiled while fidgeting with his hands.

"Oh- Thank you. I appreciate it. N-nobody has e-ever really noticed it or done anything a-bout him. I just kinda try to calm him down and not aggravate him. I've known him for a while now so his triggers are always at the back of my mind."

They walked by that familiar bench again, but this time it didn't bother Deku.

"Midoriya, that does not seem like a good way of life. You shouldn't feel responsible for his behaviour, it's not your responsibility. Are you free after school?"

Deku bit his lip. No, he wasn't. He needed to procure a grief seed, but he didn't want to. He wanted to say yes but knew that he couldn't.

"I'm actually busy today after school, sorry. I can give you my number though so we can text. How's that sound?"

Iida's smile relieved Deku's guilt from denying him.

"Sounds great, Midoriya."

Taking the phone that was handed to him, Deku couldn't help but marvel at its advancement. He knew that it was the newest model smartphone, but it appeared customized and notably reinforced. When Iida scrolled to the contact page, Deku briskly typed in his contact information.

"You can call me Izuku, Iida. Actually- you can call me whatever, it doesn't mind. Send me a text and I'll add you to my phone, okay?"

Iida took back his phone and pocketed it. They walked together silently, both headed to the station. A shrill voice interrupted them. Deku recognized it.

"Hey! You two! Going to the station? Wait for me!"

That light feeling returned, it was the girl who helped him and stopped his fall. His natural smile grew wider, hands expressively beckoning her forward. They both stared, surprised.

"That's the infinity girl."

With an exhausted undertone to her excited voice, she proclaimed.

"I'm Ochako Uraraka. Oh! And you're Tenya Iida, and you're Deku Midoriya."

A fierce blush broke out on his face, he hadn't expected to be called that nickname. He wondered how she picked it up before face-palming at the name. At least he knew her name now, Ochako Uraraka.

"Deku?"

She looked confused.

"But, umm, isn't that what Bakugou called you during the fitness test? Among other things?"

"Uhh... My real name is Izuku Midoriya. Deku is what Bakugou calls me as an insult.

Iida took his chin in hand. Ochako rubbed the back of her head, glancing away somewhat.

"Oh, I see."

It was awkward all around.

She continued.

"But Deku stands for the word, 'You can do it!'. Is that an insult? I kinda like it"

Iida rubbed at his chin once more.

"Yes, Deku, I like how it feels to say."

Deku didn't know how he felt about being asked all of those personal questions, didn't know how he even felt about dragged down by zombie pirates. Though, he knew how hearing his classmates say those words made him feel. It was a good, warm feeling. The opposite of what he needed to clean from his soul gem after expending that much magic. Such would definitely be mandatory before he went out for any witch hunt.

The three walked back to his neighborhood, and things turned out okay.

* * *

Aizawa stood in the administration's office, arms crossed and silent. Nezu sat in his office chair, All-might at his side. A tense silence blanketed the room.

"What was it that made you call us here, Aizawa?"

He took a seat in front of the ornate desk, completely ignoring All-might's pointed looks. They didn't get along, but that didn't matter right now.

"That kid, Izuku Midoriya. Something is up with him. Something deeply wrong that I don't understand. "

The school's principal stirred at his tea. All-might crossed his arms, obviously uninterested.

"Well, elaborate. I don't know what you expect me to do with that tidbit of information. I trust your intuition though, Aizawa."

Aizawa cleared his throat, blinking the dryness from his eyes.

"I couldn't nullify Midoriya's quirk. It just didn't work."

Nezu put down his tea, steam curling up around the fine china's lid. A surprised sound passed through All-Might's lips.

"What do you mean?"

Again, Aizawa repeated.

"After activating my quirk on him, Midoriya used his own without any hesitation. It didn't affect him in the slightest. But that's not all. There's a reason I requested All-Might's audience."

The blonde man looked up, whatever attitude between the two evaporated.

"Huh, what is it?"

The teacher sighed, gripping the arm of his chair. He didn't want to believe it.

"Izuku's quirk seems to be the ability to copy the quirks of others. I bring it up because of its relation to All-For-One. With Midoriya's ability to use the quirks of others, alongside his resistance to my nullifying effect, I believed it to be extremely important to notify you two. It just doesn't seem right. I'm not sure if Midoriya steals quirks though, considering how he can wield the same one as Bakugou Katsuki. They have history together, but Bakugou mentioned something about Midoriya being a 'thief', as well as being previously quirkless. You can probably do more with this knowledge than I."

Nezu tapped at his desk, full attention gained. All-might's hollowed face grew dark while responding.

"This information is troubling indeed. Honest- I don't know how to proceed. What can we do?"

Nezu continued his tapping, moving somewhat in his office chair. His voice was soft and somewhat accented.

"For now, we must simply observe. If it's true that he can pass by your quirk nullification, something is definitely askew with his quirk. All-Might, dig up everything you can on him. While on this property, do your best to provide him with attention. We need him to be on our side. You're a world-renown hero, you can do that. But, if he's somehow a hostile agent, we can't let him know that something's up. "

Aizawa froze.

"That won't be possible. I've already confronted him."

Nezu sighed.

"Let's just hope he doesn't retaliate. I saw him perform in the entrance exam, Izuku Midoriya is certainly powerful. Underestimating him could be bad. We're not going to rush into anything, we'll see how things play out. That's all for now, thank you for notifying me."

Aizawa and All-Might filtered out of the office. Kyubey scurried away from the closed door, hiding around a corner to avoid detection.


	9. Pink and Black

**Musutafu Suburbs:**

By the time Deku returned home, he felt closer to Iida and Ochaka. Surprisingly, he lived not too far from the latter. Not the same apartment complex, but definitely the same neighborhood. He wasn't sure about Iida, they parted to take separate buses. The sun was half-set as he walked up the stairs to his apartment. His grip on the railing was strong, the stress from the day finally hitting him. Barely anything had gone right, Deku didn't know how to proceed. The administration had caught onto his quirk before his actual classes even started, and he had already been threatened by Aizawa. None of his classmates knew that their homeroom teacher considered him to be a threat. The mind games were working, Deku had absolutely no idea what they thought or what knowledge they had over him. He didn't want to think it was possible they knew about magical girls. What Deku knew was that he had used his magic far too excessively. Not only had his superiors caught on, but his soul gem was now significantly darkened. Right now, when he didn't know if there were any other witches nearby, he wasn't comfortable using the second last charge on Kazane's grief seed. Sadness made him falter in front of his apartment door. He didn't want his teachers to consider him a threat.

The door opened just as he reached for the knob.

"Izuku! How was it? Tell me all about your first day and give me a big hug!"

Inko was understandably excited. Any mother would be in the same situation. Her expression caused a smile on Deku's face that he couldn't prevent. He wanted to be serious, wanted to contemplate his new game plan, but he couldn't. Not when his mother was that happy, he wouldn't bring her down. Accepting her embrace, Deku responded.

"Great, mom. Made lots of new friends. We did a physical fitness test with our quirks and I got in the top five!"

Patting his back, she reassured him.

"There you go! Like I told you this morning, today would go fine. I have supper ready, you can fill me in more while we're eating. Just go wash up and join me, okay?"

Nodding, he deeply inhaled the scent of spices and meat. Inko shut the door and Izuku placed his bookbag on a nearby bench. It was good to be back home. Being with his mom required much less social effort than being at school. Deku still felt uneasy though, he needed to clean his soul gem. Not yet. He needed to dine with his mother, and he'd do so gladly. Her food was what he needed after a day like that- maybe a nap too.

Deku looked at himself in his bathroom mirror. His skin was clear, surprisingly so after so much stress. He didn't look tired either, eyes showing no signs of dark rings he had once been infamous for. Dust clung to his school outfit, but came off easily with a damp cloth. He cleaned his face with a few splashes of cold water. It was enough to energize him and rinse off any lingering field dust. It made him wonder, did he really need to show off so much? No, he came to the conclusion that he hadn't. There was no reason for him to be in the competition's top five while using that much magic. Instead, he could have restrained himself and stayed in the bottom half. The person in last place would have been expelled under the original circumstances, he could've easily stayed ahead of last place. But he hadn't, and now Aizawa was more than suspicious. Deku blinked a water droplet from his eyelash and grabbed a towel to dry the rest of his face.

He couldn't dwell on the past, that familiar dark thrum reinforcing that conclusion.

Deku finished up in the washroom and took a seat in his spot at the table.

The chicken was good. Moist and seasoned perfectly, he eagerly devoured his plate. After a long sip of water, his mother finally breached the silence.

"So, about Kazane."

Deku froze, coughing on the water he attempted to swallow.

"H-huh?"

The overhead light was too bright.

"I know that it's making you feel not too great, but I want to make sure it's not ruining your first days at U.A.

Deku pushed the rice around his plate with an empty spoon. He didn't want to answer, but he had to.

"I don't mind, it's fine. You can talk about these things with me. I haven't spoken to her much, it's too awkward honestly. Sure, we broke up but it's not that big of a deal."

It was a big deal. He didn't like the after-image the overhead light left when he blinked. Too bright.

"That's good, Izuku. We all need to move past the things that go wrong and learn from them too. Nothing comes from living in the past and contemplating what you could have done differently."

And Deku knew that, but it wasn't that easy. He didn't want to move past Kazane, didn't want to acknowledge that it'd be his eventual fate; Couldn't bear the thought of leaving his mother alone in this world. Deku would learn from the past then, he knew what Kazane had done wrong. Envy was a part of it, he couldn't let his heart corrupt with those emotions. His brief reflection on what actually happened seemed reasonable. Deku didn't know if what he thought was valid, but knew that dwelling on those negative feelings had a direct impact on his soul gem. Deku stopped eating, his appetite long-soured. This conversation topic had to stop, he needed to talk about anything besides Kazane.

"Yeah, that makes sense mom"

It was easier to simply agree and stay silent than to explain himself. He didn't know how without coming clean.

"Aww, anything for you dear. What were your new friends like? Can I sometime get to meet them? I wonder what kind of quirks they have to have gotten into U.A."

He obliged for the rest of his dinner. 

* * *

Deku walked into his room and froze. Kyubey sat on his bed expectantly.

"It's good to see you, Izuku Midoriya."

The green-haired magical boy did not respond, attempting to ignore it by sitting in his computer chair. Kyubey waltzed onto his desk. Deku booted up his computer. He worked too hard to get himself into a good mood today, he wouldn't let that monster shatter it.

"You appear to still be mad at me. Am I correct?"

Rage burned in his stomach, he clenched his fists. He couldn't let his calmness break. Deku spoke calmly but with a subtle waver to his breath.

"Do you really need to ask? Why wouldn't I be mad at you? You lied to me. I shouldn't be talking to you."

Almost as if feigning innocence, Kyubey swished its tail around and cocked its head.

"When have I ever said anything false to you?"

Deku thought, thought back to his prior encounters with Kyubey. It was not something the creature had ever brought up, not something it ever noted. His anger was partly directed to himself. Stupid, so stupid, he shouldn't have been so stupid as to make a deal with the devil. It was too good to be true, but he didn't have the luxury of a choice. The sludge villain would have killed him for sure. But he still blamed himself, he didn't need to stay that long after school or even exit that route at all. He should have left his journal in the pond.

"I- Well you didn't tell me about turning into a witch, it really would have been good information to know."

Kyubey paused. It jumped back onto his bed. Deku ignored his computer, the distraction didn't matter. Kyubey engaged him.

"You didn't ask. Hasn't anyone ever taught you to read the fine print? Walking into a contract without knowing the details is surely a mistake on your part."

Anger welled up in his throat. It pried at his mouth, wrenching its fingers and begging to be let out. Deku wouldn't, he couldn't give into that anger. His mother was downstairs, probably watching her soap opera. She'd hear everything.

"I-It's not my f-fault, you didn't tell me. I had no choice. Contracting was a mistake."

Deku drew his knees up to his chest, tracing circles around his knees with his index finger. Kyubey's gaze was probing and invasive. He tucked his nose between his kneecaps, curling himself into a ball on his chair.

Kyubey spoke louder this time.

"You had every choice, I asked you if you wanted to contract. I got your consent. Furthermore, I simply cannot comprehend your anger. You wished to become a hero, did you not?"

Even though the words were spoken telepathically, Deku hid from them.

"Y-yes b-but I-"

Kyubey interrupted him.

"You're studying at U.A, the heroics school with the lowest acceptance rate and highest quality course rating. Before you contracted, you were a weak quirkless human, you never would have passed the examination. Your wish came true, and so you have nothing to be angry for. All you have to pay for making the impossible possible is a life devoted to fighting witches thus protecting others. How different is that from how a hero would normally operate? Don't blame me for your ignorance."

And he cracked. Not because it was an insult, but because it was true. All of it was true. Kyubey never lied. Standing up from his chair, he threw a ceramic mug at it.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You tricked me, get the fuck out of my house you bastard. You're lucky I don't kill you here."

Alongside his booming voice, the shrill sound of shattering ceramic filled his home. Shards scattered throughout the room, some embedded in Kyubey's fur. It did not react. Blood trickled from its white coat. Good. Deku felt no guilt at hurting this creature, regardless of how cute it appeared. Kyubey glanced towards his bedroom door.

"Izuku! What is it? I'm coming up!"

Kyubey licked at its superficial wounds. Deku sat back down in his chair, cradling his face in his hands. As his bedroom door opened, he swiveled to face away from both his mother and Kyubey.

"Mom, don't worry. It was just a scary video game. Got a bit f-frightened and I cursed. Sorry for disturbing your show."

Inko bit her lip, glancing between her son and the ceramic shards on the ground.

"If you say so. I'll help clean up the mug, okay? Don't forget that you can tell me anything if you need to."

Deku nodded. As his mother went to retrieve a dustpan and broom, he turned to glare at Kyubey. When she returned, he helped her pick up the pieces. They finished in no time, chattering about nothing specific. As expected, she gave him another round of questioning about his well-being but left soon after they finished. Instead of boiling over, his rage simmered into anger.

Kyubey stared into his eyes.

"Are you trying to turn into a witch? Why aren't you cleaning your soul gem?"

Although it spoke in a completely clinical and formal tone, Deku picked up sarcasm or an attempt at it. The simulated sarcasm was unnerving. But once again, Kyubey was right. Deku needed to clean his soul gem. The last time he saw it was after the physical fitness test, and it was worryingly dull. He didn't want to see what it looked like now, didn't want to see how it would have inevitably darkened after his encounter with Kyubey. Once he formed the egg in his hand, he could tell it had gotten darker. Dark enough as to where Deku feared transforming even to retrieve Kazane's grief seed.

He stripped every bit of unnecessary magic from the shift, his body briefly flashing white to reveal his outfit. His bunny ears sagged. Reaching into his pocket, he felt the cold metal of the grief seed he knew all-too-well. The grief seed eagerly lapped up the pollution in his soul gem. One charge left. Deku stared at his soul gem, really getting a good look at the pine-green stone. It was pretty, he had always known that, but he didn't know why it was a gem. The green glow was stronger than it was before. He wondered how much it had grown in strength since he first contracted. Around five grief seed cleansings had been performed on it, but he didn't know what that equated to. He didn't even know if that was true, or if simply another one of Kyubey's deceptions.

"Why'd you come here anyway, Kyubey?"

Instead of answering, its tongue darted out to lap up the last drop of its blood. Kyubey turned around, stalking out through his window and off into the night.

"I came here to tell you something, but clearly you do not appreciate my presence."

He wanted to feel sorry, wanted to scream out and tell it to come back, but he stood still instead. Anything Kyubey had to say was deceptive in nature. Deku didn't need that right now. His attempt at emotional stability today had cracked, all thanks to it.

What he needed was another grief seed. Deku had a witch to hunt. 

* * *

**Musutafu North:**

There were no hunches or leads on the news for him to follow. Deku had to search the old-fashion way. The tousles of his sweater floated behind him as he darted through an alleyway. No sign of one. It had been at least an hour of searching, each sweep bringing him further and further from Kazane's territory. He wasn't sure whether it was still his or not, but there hadn't been any magical girls nearby for him to signify his ownership. Deku didn't like not knowing, not knowing how he would claim territory as his own. Part of him thought he'd do so by force, and he didn't like the idea of that.

Searching for a witch felt much more sinister now that he knew their origin. He didn't want to be confronted with his own eventual state, but by avoiding it, Deku would be speeding up his demise. It was an unavoidable fact. He needed to fight witches or he'd die. And so he kept searching, no matter how much his mind wanted to run back home with his tail between his legs. The first flash was near the park, the second near the bus station he had visited with Ochako and Iida.

Deku paused, he had forgotten to contact him after. That could wait.

Anticipation stirred in his body. He found a witch. Now all he had to do was track it down. The search brought him closer to U.A than he would have liked. Deku knew he wasn't in his own territory, but he didn't care. He needed a grief seed, he wouldn't and couldn't proceed in U.A activities without one.

He found himself near the town square, in a small street with many small stores. Green flashes lead him to a condemned building. Deku didn't know how to enter without causing noise. Since it was well past sunset, any loud sounds would likely alert sleeping neighbors. The last thing he needed was to be arrested for breaking and entering. Circling the building, he saw an opened fire escape. Transforming into his outfit, Deku reinforced his legs with green magic before jumping up two stories onto the fire escape. The witch was definitely here, but he could feel it hiding. The air was musty, like sour laundry. Vandalism painted the walls, and broken beer bottles littered the floor. Somebody had lived here.

It felt stronger behind the locked door in front of him. Twisting at the knob, it didn't budge. There was nothing he could do about it, he couldn't avoid making noise. With a sigh, he kicked at the door's lock. The door sprung open alongside the sharp staccato of cracking wood. It was a worn-down washroom. Sink rusted and tiles cracked, it wasn't a nice sight to see. The gem at his neck guided him to a closed laundry machine. Reaching out with his energy, a brown sigil appeared around the washing machine's door. A smiling crescent moon with a large star in the background.

Deku opened the machine's door and crawled into the witch's labyrinth.

A salty smell assaulted his nose, alongside the stench of soured laundry. He came out upon a small twin bed. The frame was ornate but the mattress was soiled. The sky above was darkened, save for a large smiling crescent moon. Cut-out stars were seemingly plastered against the sky, some dangled down from strings. Standing up, the wobbling of the bed staggered him. The bed was floating. Deku looked down. The bed was floating in a sea of laundry. Just looking at it confused him, but he wouldn't linger. Nothing in a labyrinth made sense. Deku wondered what the witch had been like as a magical girl.

Like stepping stones in water, he could make out a trail of floating beds. With each step they got larger, leading up to a bed so high that the top was hidden from view. Something felt wrong though, he could feel energy in the air. It was bubbly and energetic, but hostile. Deku didn't know if it was the witch. His soul gem could sense the witch, sure, and recognize the harsh ominous presence, but that other signature was foreign.

Deku approached with caution, equipping his slime quirk and cocking his gun. Mid-air between two beds, he heard something snap. Glancing down beneath him, he saw what appeared to be a laundry detergent bottle with teeth and fins. Piranha-esque in nature, it thrashed about mid-air snapping its jaws before landing back in the sea of laundry with a thunk. Socks splashed up onto the bed, dripping and rolling off like running water. It was easier to block out the sour smell.

The next jump, he purposefully put more magic into it, boosting his height to clear the pathway. Detergent bottles snapped pathetically beneath him. The bed bobbed slightly with the force of his landing. He couldn't go too high, otherwise, it would likely dip the platform under the laundry's surface. A familiar cawed in the air. Deku aimed his gun at the dryer-sheet seagull and shot a glob of goop. With a pained cry, it flapped its coated wings but fell into the ocean of clothing. The piranhas didn't attack the seagull.

The cawing seemed to have angered more of the seagulls. Deku made a sound of annoyance at the sight of a large flock flying towards him. Freeing his left hand, Deku formed a large compressed ball of sludge. Charging it as the seagulls approached, he haphazardly picked them off with the gun in his right hand. At the right moment, Deku released the ball towards the flock, coating them all in an explosion of muck. Deku wiped sweat from his brow, breathing labored.

As soon as he jumped up onto the largest bed, a cloud of brightly-colored confetti shredded his body with cuts. Pain grasped him. Mouth agape, he glanced at the source. A girl with a pink and black showgirl dress was aiming some kind of party horn at him. Not wanting to get hit by it or another blast of confetti, he threw up a green shield. She blew into the horn, a shrill sound blasting out as the streamer rocked against the translucent barrier. Deku's shield cracked under the force.

"Goddammit! Didn't I tell that yellow bitch to stay outta my territory? You punks don't listen, do ya?"

The mention made him falter.

Falter enough for the witch that was fighting the magical girl to attack him.

Under the cloak of a blanket, its face was covered by long, stringy and greasy black hair. It screamed in distress. As it opened up the blanket to take a peek at the newcomer, a foul odor of decay assaulted them. The pink magical girl jumped out of the way of a shooting star. Deku did the same, glancing up at the sky to see the source. The moon was angry, flaming cut-out stars fell from the sky towards them.

"Don't get distracted. God, I almost feel bad killing you. And I thought that knight girl was weak. I'm taking this grief seed, get lost."

He couldn't. Deku needed that grief seed.

"I- I need it! I can't leave, I only have one left."

The magical girl laughed, shooting a burst of confetti at the exposed witch. The witch screamed in pain as a horrible-smelling black liquid splattered around the bed. Tangles of black hair reached for the girl, but she blew her party horn and sliced it off from the witch.

"Not my problem. You're the offender here, this is my territory. I'm a generous person. Leave now and I won't hunt you down afterward."

Deku jumped over a seagull that swooped near him. Cocking his gun, he fired a glob of slime at the girl. With a laugh, she put up a pink shield and continued attacking the witch. His green slime splattered against the barrier, no cracks forming. Frustrated, Deku grunted out and dashed away from a falling star. Blood from the previous cuts beaded on his skin. The witch focused on him now, an eye appearing out of the darkness under the blanket and stared directly at him. Hair reached out to grab at him. Deku dodged to the left, directly into the path of a cloud of confetti.

It might as well have been a cloud of razors with how sharp each piece was. Although the pain was disconnected, it was still agonizing. Deku watched in horror as pieces of confetti sliced deeply into his skin. It was not a glancing blow like before. He didn't need to look down to know he was missing fingers.

"Just like that yellow girl, couldn't fight for shit. I haven't felt her signature in a while. She dead or what?"

As much as he knew what she was trying to do, he couldn't help but succumb to the taunt. Kazane was a wound that was only partially sealed, now it reopened.

"Don't talk about her like that you b-bitch!"

A look of mock offense flashed over her face. Mockingly, she gasped.

"You cared about her, didn't you? I don't think it was reciprocated. Otherwise, she would've told you that the next person to poach in Kimiko's territory would be gutted. Can't be helped, I don't like you either. Hope you like getting gutted."

Deku could only sneer and shoot a glob of sludge at the writhing mass under the blankets. Kimiko skewered it after blowing into her party horn. Covering his ears, Deku didn't like the shrill sound created by the horn. The witch was trying to crawl out from under the blankets, but both of them didn't want that to happen.

Kimiko turned to him, calling out sweetly.

"Have fun in the afterlife!"

She blew her horn and a gust of confetti was sent his way. Deku didn't have the time to throw up a shield, occupied with attempting to heal up his body. The result wasn't desirable. Her party horn hit first, skewering his lower abdomen with its pink and black striped streamer. It curled around inside him, hooking and taking hold. She stopped blowing into it, Deku was sent hurtling towards her and the cloud of confetti as the party horn coiled up. Blood poured from the wound as the confetti shredded him further. Barely able to move his mangled legs, Deku pooled his green magic at his feet. With a sudden burst, the rocketing magic ripped him off the hooked party horn and away from the shredding confetti. The amount of magic he detonated sent him further back than he anticipated. Soaring away from the bed, he glanced down at the mattress littered with bloodied confetti. Kimiko skewered the witch once more with her horn. This time, accompanied by a pink blast of energy.

Still flying through the air, Deku watched with dread as he soared over the laundry's surface. Detergent Bottle Piranhas snapped wildly at the promise of sustenance. A hard thunk rang out as he slammed into a seagull and knocked it down into the ocean of fabrics. A floating bed bobbed in the distance. At his current trajectory, he wouldn't make it. His blood dripped down into the fabrics below, prompting a frenzy of piranhas. Just his luck. Once more pooling his green magic near his feet, he concentrated it. With a burst, he let it out at once, the force required to propel him onto the bed. Grabbing the bedpost, he slowed himself down and came to a stop. Right before the edge. Breathing labored, he slicked around in a puddle of his own blood. Deku could feel his body growing weaker with blood loss, and legitimately shook with fear. He didn't want to die. Using more magic than he would have liked, he replenished his body with a constant supply of blood. Mending his wounds was harder and he had something he needed to focus on right now.

Escaping and fleeing from Kimiko.

A turbulent storm of emotions raged inside him. Kimiko had provoked all of it. Grief stung at him, he honestly did miss Kazane. Deku darted across the beds, away from the witch and the magical signature he now truly hated. Her words still taunted him, he couldn't help but think over what she meant. Perhaps she was just grasping for straws in an attempt to taunt him, but something was nagging at his mind. It was something that Kazane had said, but he couldn't quite remember what. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Deku willed away the thoughts. It didn't matter what happened, thinking about it would only bring him closer to despair. Kyubey had said that he was strong, and right now he knew that to just be another one of its lies. His attacks had barely done anything to the pink magical girl, he was like a fly fighting with a human. She had simply slapped him away. That weakness was the kind that reminded him of being quirkless.

Gritting his teeth, Deku jumped to the last bed and glanced back. Pink light flashed atop the tallest bed intermittently. A trail of blood stained the dirty mattresses, leaving a clear trail for Kimiko to follow. Ignoring the pain of lost fingers and gouged skin was surprisingly easy. He still felt it sure, but it wasn't bothering him, it wasn't all-encompassing nor was it compelling. Just his body passively alerting him of injury with an uncomfortable sensation. Crawling through the laundry machine was a lot harder on the way out. With each bump against the machine's sides, fresh pain shot up his limbs. He knew he was injured, the pain was needless. Collapsing with a heap on the cold tile floor, he let out an agonized wail. Kazane was dead, and he wasn't even strong enough to fight another witch. Kazane was dead, and Kimiko had been the one to fight her before her death. Kimiko was the reason Kazane was dead, his friend would have gotten a grief seed if not for her. And Deku couldn't blame her for retreating now when he had done the same.

His soul gem was darkened, and yet he still flooded his body with magic. A green aura washed over his injuries, mending his cuts and regrowing fingers. Said green aura lit up the dark squatter's camp, providing him with a distraction from the uncomfortable feeling of regrowing bone and flesh. Deku had never been the best healer, he knew his magic was inefficient at healing. That was why, when he felt the dark sphere forming in his soul gem, he wasn't surprised. At least the physical pain had stopped. It didn't matter anyway though, Kazane was still dead.

Deku reached into his sweater's pocket and withdrew Kazane's grief seed. His transformation was dismissed in a flash of white light. Deku held up his green egg-shaped gem. Black bunny faces spotted the surface. Holding Kazane's grief seed up to his soul gem one last time, he let out a sob. With a wavering voice, he whispered.

"I'm s-sorry K-Kazane, I wasn't intended on using the last charge."

Black transferred into the grief seed, leaving his soul gem brilliant once more. A dark aura shimmered around the grief seed, it was at its max. He could feel the meniscus of despair threatening to spill over and hatch. Deku feared the grief seed, he didn't want to face the sun witch ever again.

Kyubey stalked in through the previously-broken door. Its magenta eyes stared.

"Kimiko is a strong one, for sure. but I didn't expect you to lose. You're still alive, so I guess it doesn't matter anyway. Please give me that grief seed so I can neutralize and dispose of it."

How convenient. Deku laughed at the creature, he didn't respond. Instead, he clutched the grief seed to his chest and bathed himself in its miasma. Underneath the layers of despair and coating of grief, he could feel that warm airy signature. Deku rolled on his side and away from the creature.

"That's a dumb thing to do. Are you purposefully intending to hatch the grief seed? Some magical girls do so in order to reuse them again, but most aren't strong enough to take on the strengthened witch and die in the process."

He fiddled with it in his hands.

"Hey, Kyubey. Why is it that now you care if I live or die?"

It didn't respond. Deku kissed the grief seed's cold surface and tossed it towards the creature. Kyubey opened up the panel on his back and caught it with ease. Closing the surface, its back glowed slightly. Deku breathed deeply on the floor as Kyubey left through a shattered window.

Calmness washed over him. Deku couldn't stay here, he needed to leave. Kimiki would definitely kill the witch, and he wanted to be nowhere near the run-down place when that happened. Making his way down from the apartment was easier than entering it had been. Instead of jumping down from the fire escape, he simply went to the front door and slammed the door open. Deku didn't care if the cracking boards were loud, being quiet was no longer possible. It was dark anyway, so nobody could have seen his face. That fact provided Deku with some comfort as he made his way back home in the dead of night.

His phone vibrated.

Iida Tenya 1:30 AM: I know it's late but, but just wanted to know how you were doing. I don't know if you got my earlier texts but I'm just a bit worried, that's all.

Deku saw the option to scroll up. Seven missed messages. Deku groaned as he rubbed at his eye, he had been hunting for far too long. It had been roughly three hours in total with the reward of having to use the last charge on Kazane's grief seed. The feeling of not having a grief seed to use when he needed it was not comforting in the slightest. His cold thumbs typed back a response.

Izuku Midoriya: 1:33 AM: I'm fine, thank you. Just got into a fight, but nothing too bad happened. I'm not hurt or anything. What are you doing up this late?

Iida Tenya 1:35 AM: Watching the news and reviewing the course outline for our class.

Deku snorted, Iida was already studying, studying the schedule. It wasn't even useful information. But Deku realized something. He was genuinely amused by Iida's antics, despite all that had happened. His next text was more enthusiastic.

Izuku Midoriya: 1:39 AM: Of course you are haha. Wanna hang out at school tomorrow?

He bit his lip, briefly unsure if Iida would agree.

Iida Tenya 1:42 AM: Definitely. Go to bed now, Midoriya-kun. :)

Upon returning to his home, the tear tracks on his face had long-since dried. A smile tugged at his lips as he quietly brushed his teeth and prepared for bed. It was a bit too late, but he'd manage. Sleep was dreamless, and for that he was thankful.

* * *

 **Witch Profile:** The Sleep Witch

 **Name:** Aurora

 **Nature:** Depression

The sleep witch, with a depressive nature. She doesn't remember what it's like to be awake. Her slumber is deep, not even the greatest of waves in her sea of comfort can wake her. She dreams of constant nightmares, and is therefore in constant pain despite her plush surroundings. Having slept for so long, her body decomposes and festers under her blanket. One can easily defeat her by removing all that comforts her.

 **Name:** Bryan

 **Duty:** Scavenging

Familiar of the sleep witch. Their duty is to scavenge food for the sleep witch. Weak yet plentiful, they hunt in packs, relying on sheer numbers to overwhelm prey. Knowing that their witch neglects feeding to sleep, they eagerly split off from their labyrinth in search of humans to feed on.

 **Name:** Kevin

 **Nature:** Outlet

Familiar of the sleep witch. Their duty is to serve as an outlet for the sleep witch's nightmares. Lurking just below her sea of comfort, they eagerly await the chance to sink their teeth into prey.


End file.
